Only We See the Similarities
by myprofoundfantasy
Summary: New Gen. Albus/Scorpius Slash. Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy couldn't be more different, or so everyone thought. They had spent their whole five years hating each other. But now, they see that maybe they aren't so different from each other after all.
1. Chapter 1

**So I started this story almost a year ago but, unfortunately, abandoned it. However, for some time now, I've found the muse! Yet, I could not find the story anywhere until last night at like 12 am, I found it! :D And now here are the four chapters. And don't worry, I have the next chapter almost finished. So read & enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I own not the next generation characters. If I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, but rather I would be sipping a fancy juice on a fancy yacht in the Bahamas. And the members of Mcfly would be performing for me. Sigh...**

* * *

Chapter 1

Albus looked out the train window and sighed. There was a lot of chatter happening in just this small compartment, some snogging too. Thus, he had turned to the window away from it all. Who was doing the snogging was his cousin, Rose, and her boyfriend, Blake. They were both Ravenclaws, much to his dismay.

He remembered hearing her name called at the sorting ceremony when they were first years. The hat took awhile, but then had shouted 'Ravenclaw!' At this time, Albus had already been sorted into Gryffindor. The hat, too, took a long time, switching back and forth between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Albus remembered quite clearly how he had chanted over and over again in his head, 'I can't be in Slytherin!'

He knew that his parents would be fine with whatever house he was in and that his middle name was from a great wizard who was in Slytherin, but it still seemed vile. He didn't seem like a true Slytherin. Sure, Albus had a temper and was quite clever in his own way, but being anything besides a Gryffindor would feel too different. And Albus was already different enough.

A bump in the ribs interrupted his mindless thoughts. The stupid git, known as Rose's boyfriend, had pushed her into him; they were still having a snog fest.

He shoved them away, scoffing, "Cut it out, will you? It's crowded enough as it is." The lovesick couple parted lips, sheepishly smiling.

"Sorry mate," Blake exclaimed, "couldn't help myself. She's just too irresistible!" Rose playfully punched Blake in the arm, blushing. He laughed aloud, kissing her some more, while Albus made a face. _They can be so disgusting._ Al turned back to the window, his face still scrunched up in distaste.

It wasn't the snogging that bothered him; he desired it himself, wishing to have someone to kiss him the way Blake kissed Rose. But sadly, Albus had no experience in that matter. Sure, he'd had his first kiss before, but it was less than to be desired. Shelley Brown had snogged him one day in his fourth year. He'd already outed himself as gay by then, yet for whatever reason, she refused to believe him. But after she parted lips with him, she immediately got offended when Albus, his nose wrinkled, just merely shrugged. Of course, even if he were straight, the kiss still probably would have been unpleasant. Shelley had pretty much jammed her tongue down his throat, sucking his face off like an out of control vacuum.

He shuddered at the memory, then sighed again. Albus was going into his sixth year and was still single. His brother James, on the other hand, had had so many girlfriends through the course of his Hogwarts life, it'd probably take about four or five hands to count them all! Girl of the month is what he and Lily called it.

_It just seems like I'm the only homosexual here. _Well, that wasn't all true. A couple of guys had asked Albus out before, but there were no real relationships formed. Also, this was the time when he fancied seventh year Hufflepuff, Eros Blackstone so Albus had turned away any other guy. They'd become great friends last year and Al was certain Eros liked him back. Unfortunately, one day on the lawn, Al and Eros were skipping rocks when he couldn't hold it in anymore and made a move.

He had only reached for Eros' hand to hold it, yet the guy still completely freaked out! And thus, their friendship fatally ended that day. Albus was just glad that Eros graduated; word got around fast, and occasionally people still mentioned how he had managed to wet Eros' pants.

Albus knew that he didn't necessarily _need _anyone. He wasn't desperate, and could just focus on his studies and friends. Albus knew all that; his parents told him so practically everyday. But, indubitably, Albus was a guy who had hormones..and feelings. And lately it seemed that all anyone talked about was the opposite gender, who he/she liked, and his/her boy/girlfriend. It was quite ridiculous, but it also made Albus feel incredibly lonely.

Still lost in thought, blocking all other noise out, Albus sighed once more and rested his head against the window, closing his eyes.

---

"Wow, who knew you were such a heavy sleeper! You missed everything!" A shake slowly startled Albus out from his sleep. He groggily opened his eyes, rubbing them to see better, and noticed dried-up drool from the side of his mouth. Albus subtly wiped that away and asked, "What happened?"

He finally focused in on who was talking to him and saw that it was Tilly. She was known for her gossip and knew everything about everyone from all years and houses; it was a bit scary, really. Tilly tossed her long black hair over her left shoulder and leaned in toward Albus. "Well, Mindy and Fred got into a huge fight and started hexing each other!"

Albus laughed at this statement, though it was no surprise. They were always on-again, off-again. He didn't have to ask who won. Fred Weasley wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, not to mention extremely gullible.

"...make-up soon. Always do! Honestly, I think it's quite pointless that they're still together, but hell to what I know!" Tilly paused for a second, tapping her chin lightly before opening her mouth again. "Oh! Scorpius Malfoy got in trouble by the trolley cart lady for messing with some first years."

Albus groaned, muttering, "I hate that git!" And it was no understatement, either. He and Scorpius had always butted heads with each other since the first day they'd met. Albus had always tried to be nice and polite towards everyone whereas Scorpius purposefully searched for trouble. It was such an unflattering quality.

"Yeah, and then he proceeded to argue with the lady until the conductor threatened to throw him off the train. Wish he were thrown off or sent to the giants for a snack." Tilly retorted. She was muggleborn, so it was obvious why she didn't like him either. "And Louis Weasley lost his cat, Freida."

"Wow, I really did miss a lot!" Albus sat up and glanced out the window. It was still fairly light out. "How long was I asleep?"

"Just shy of two hours," Cody Thomas looked up from his book, speaking up for the first time today. "You might want to change into your robes soon."

Albus glanced at everyone in the compartment and noticed that they were all in their robes. "Alright." He grudgingly got up, grabbed his school robes, and headed for the bathrooms. As Albus approached the small bathrooms, who did he see but the infamous Scorpius Malfoy and his cousin, Louis.

He straightened up, folded his arms, eyes narrowed. "Thought you were told to stop messing with first years."

Scorpius looked up, startled at who was talking to him. He smirked, relaxing, when he saw it was Albus. "Come to save the day, Potter?" Scorpius leaned against the bathroom door, but dropped Louis's wand to the ground nonetheless.

Albus ignored Scorpius and, instead, picked up the wand. As he handed it to his little cousin, Al asked, "Have you found your cat yet?"

The small redhead shook his head. "No, not yet. I accidentally opened the door to the corridor and whoosh! Freida was gone."

"I'll help you look for her," Albus offered, if only to make his cousin happy.

"Thanks!" Smiling and relieved to have been rescued from Malfoy, Louis hurried away, calling for his lost cat.

A scoff came out from Scorpius's mouth. "Do you not have a dick?"

At this, Albus turned to face Scorpius, glowering at him. But the Slytherin was unfazed as he said, a smirk forming upon his lips, "You're too nice and too much like a girl. Maybe you should prove it."

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" Albus retorted. But Scorpius just shrugged, merely smiling. He leaned his head against the door and closed his eyes, which caused Albus to get even angrier.

"Look, I'm not in the greatest mood Malfoy, so I suggest you move out of the way and let me in."

Scorpius opened his eyes which were now flashing, excited for a challenge. A smug expression appeared upon his face. "Make me," he stated.

Albus's scowl got more intense as he weighed the option of hexing Scorpius right now or going to a bathroom elsewhere. But the latter seemed too cowardly, and that was something Albus was certainly not -- especially not in front of this cocky Slytherin.

So Albus stepped closer to Scorpius, roughly shoving him aside, causing him to stumble sideways. Al placed his hand on the door handle, but just as he was about to turn it, a hand grabbed his arm. Albus looked up, only to see Scorpius standing almost nose to nose, holding a death grip on his arm. Al's heart started racing; he turned his head so as not to notice Scorpius's intense, almost perfect features. Instead, he focused hard on the door handle, trying to block out the thoughts of Scorpius' piercing silver eyes. "Let. Go." Albus sneered.

Scorpius was obviously enjoying himself because he just lightly laughed and asked, "What are you going to do about it, Potter?" He moved his hand down to Albus's wrist; this caused Albus's heart to beat even faster.

Trying to keep his head clear from any unwanted thoughts, Albus removed the hand holding onto the silver door handle, then quickly opened the door with his other hand.

Scorpius held on to Al's hand for a few seconds longer before letting go, admitting defeat. "Nice hair, by the way."

Albus ignored him, walking inside and locking the door. He faced the sink, hands gripping the side for support as he tried to get his breathing under control. Albus looked up, then, and frowned. Half of his medium-length jet black hair was sticking straight up from where he'd leaned against the window whilst sleeping.

Albus tried as much as he possibly could to fix it, but alas, it was uncooperative per usual. So he proceeded to change into his school robes, waiting a few minutes to see if Scorpius had left. Al didn't want another encounter with the git. It felt too dangerous.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Everyone arrived at the grand, familiar castle and walked into the Great Hall for the sorting ceremony. Albus waved goodbye to Rose and Blake, then took a seat next to Tilly and Andrew at the Gryffindor table. James leaned in and asked, "Did you find Freida? I swear, the little guy is going to get hexed soon. And I may be the one doing the hexing!"

Still muddled over what had happened on the train, Albus just shrugged, not exactly listening. He'd been pensive the rest of the train ride after having changed into his robes. But, knowing better, no one questioned him, leaving him in peace.

James stopped trying to make conversation with his little brother, taking the hint, and turned to his new girlfriend. They'd been together for two weeks; but it was inevitable that he'd get bored of her and move on in a couple more weeks. After all, practically every girl vyed for his brother's attention, and James didn't disappoint. The muscular redhead was a ladies man through and through.

Headmaster Grendellyn rose and began to speak. His silver hair was tied in one long braid which shook ever so slightly when he talked. The wizard had a very enticing and intimidating presence. Yet, it was not enough to hold Albus Potter's attention because his mind soon wandered off, eyes absently gazing at the new students. He remembered being wide-eyed and fidgety as these first years were now. They were so anxious and excited; they had no idea what was in store for them.

After glancing across the faces of everyone, his eyes lingered on one in particular near the back at the Slytherin table. This guy was laughing quietly, a familiar evilish gleam in his intense silver eyes. His platinum blond hair hung in his face. The feature that stood out most, even from a distance, was his strong chin that offeset his cheekbones. _Oh man, no! Stop these thoughts! I bet he has a nice body. Augh, shut-up Albus! Shut the bloody hell up! _Albus cringed, but couldn't tear his eyes away.

Just then, Scorpius noticed Albus staring at him and smirked. It took a couple seconds before Albus realized Scorpius was staring at _him _as well. But when he did, Al's face immediately reddened and he looked away. Al thought he could hear faint laughter from the Slytherin table.

Albus waited a few minutes, feeling embarrassed and self-conscious, then peeked at Scorpius again; the Slytherin was still watching him, that same smirk in place. Albus sighed and turned back around, forcing himself to listen to Grendellyn.

---

"You feeling okay, mate? You were quiet all throughout dinner,"

Albus was walking to the commons with his friend, Andrew. Andrew had been his best friend since they'd met on the train their first year. He had dirty blond hair which was hard to notice because of his buzz cut. The guy was tall and lanky, standing at exactly 6'0". Albus, himself, was an average 5'10".

"Yeah, I'm fine. I've just been..thinking." Al gave his friend a reassuring smile, hoping he'd get the hint. But, alas, Andrew asked, "Thinking about what?" Andrew was a curious person by nature, and usually Albus liked this aspect of his friend because it made hanging out with him that much more amusing; they'd found all sorts of hidden places and things at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, right now was different. "It doesn't matter," Albus rushed. "Nothing important."

Andrew wanted to press things further or make a joke, but he decided it'd be in his best interest not to. "Well, whatever it is, stop! Get out of this rut mate because I found something you might be interested in."

Albus looked up, perplexed. _What could he have possibly found in just the three minutes of free time we had?_ Sometimes-no, scratch that-most times, Al didn't understand his best friend. But he was intrigued, so he asked, "What is it?"

Andrew held his finger to his lips and whispered, "Not here. Tonight." This made Al roll his eyes, but smile nonetheless. Leave it to Andrew to find a way to cheer him up and get his mind off things without even doing anything but being himself.

---

The next day, Albus woke up bright and early. There weren't any classes for a few days; he woke up early for a different reason. Albus quietly dressed into his robes, careful not to wake anyone, then crept into the common room to wait for Andrew. His fellow sixth year friend told him yesterday about some horse-like creature he'd spotted near the Forbidden Forest. Albus had quite an interest in magical creatures, so this got him excited.

As he waited for Andrew, Albus inattentively looked at the paintings and portraits. Then there was one that peaked his interest. This portrait portrayed a man painting two men. The models weren't quite naked; only their torsos were showing bare skin. But what was interesting was that on the canvas, the two men looked almost identical. One looked happy and joyful whereas the other looked cyncial and somber. Albus peered closer and noticed that the two men were connected by their side and hands.

"Strange..how have I not seen this before?"

"Seen what?" A voice interrupted Albus' thoughts. He turned around, both relieved and startled to see that it was Andrew.

"Oh, um, this painting." Albus pointed to the one that had mystified him. Andrew looked at it for a brief three seconds, then shrugged and faced Albus again. "Maybe it's new," he said, disinterested.

Albus looked at it again. There was something familiar about the painting, but he couldn't quite place it. Unfortunately he could examine it no longer for Andrew was pulling him out of the Gryffindor chamber.

---

"You know we're not supposed to enter this forest, right?" Albus was always the voice of reason, whether he liked it or not; this was a quality that Andrew obviously lacked.

"That's never stopped us before. Besides, everyone's still sleeping. No one'll notice we're gone." Andrew started off for the forest so Al had no time to tell him that last time they went into the forest, they almost got caught by Filch. But, he decided to obey and go along with Andrew's plan, following after the rambunctious Gryffindor.

"I saw this creature grazing just inside the forest, and so its tracks should be fairly new."

"What'd it look like?"

"I only saw a glimpse, but it was shiny and light blue. I'm not sure though."

Albus searched his mind for a name to fit that slightly vague description. He'd read every magical creature book, having fallen in love with animals at age five when he got his first cat and owl.

"A unicorn, maybe?" That's the only creature he could think of which was shiny and blue.

Andrew turned, his eyes glistening and wide. "Think so? Oh wow, how wicked would that be?! I've always wanted to see a unicorn up close!"

Albus smiled and nodded; he was thinking the same thing. He, then, crouched down and got on his knees, examining the ground for hoof prints. Andrew did the same.

After a few minutes of searching the opening of the forest, Andrew called out, "I found something!"

Al ran over to his friend, and saw a shiny substance on Andrew's finger. He took the finger and sniffed it. It was unicorn blood. "There's definitely a unicorn here, but whether it's dead or alive, I'm not sure."

Andrew frowned, wiping the blood on a nearby leaf. "There's a trail of blood that way." He pointed to his right and there was, indeed, sparkling unicorn blood on the ground.

They followed it, going deeper into the forest. Albus was jittery and eager. _I wonder what injured this unicorn. It couldn't have done much damage because the unicorn seemed to have been able to walk fine._ But then they saw it. The magical horse was still beautiful and sparkling, even laying on the ground.

Both guys ran to the horse. It had no horn but a big, gashing hole and blood trickling down.

"Damn! Some git stole my idea to take the horn," Andrew exclaimed. Albus looked at his friend incredulously for a few moments, then shrugged. It _was_ a good idea; unicorn horns could be sold for thousands upon thousands of galleons! It was just a bit sad that someone killed a poor unicorn for money.

"At least I can get some unicorn hair." Andrew went over to the tail and took out his wand to cut off a few strands of hair.

Albus began to laugh, "You're so odd!"

Andrew grinned, laughing as well. "Hey, it's not every day you see a unicorn. Why not take advantage of this opportunity?" Albus rolled his eyes, but went over to where Andrew was to get some hair for himself.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Andrew and Albus sneakily crept out of the forest, cautious not to get caught. When they saw that it was clear, they ran behind the red barn of food for creatures. Albus was about to casually head for Hogwarts when Andrew grabbed him by the arm. "Shh! Don't move. I hear something."

Al stopped and waited, listening for a noise. Almost a minute passed, and yet there was no noise. He opened his mouth to tell Andrew it's nothing when there was a squeal and faint laughter.

"There, that!" Andrew whispered. Al glanced at his friend, then peered out from behind the side of the barn. He saw Slytherin robes and... _Is that a rabbit? _Albus pulled Andrew toward the boys in the robes, curious.

"Wait, why are we walking toward _them?_"

"I want to see what they're doing to that rabbit, is all."

"Al...," Andrew had a warning tone in his voice. He knew his friend better than to just feel a little curiosity.

A tussle of blond hair shook as the guy imitated the rabbit's squeal. "Go on, do it!" A beefier brunette said to the blond. The blond hesitated before raising his wand.

Albus began to walk faster, almost to the point of running, his own wand in hand. He pointed his wand at the boy and quickly shouted, "_Expelliarmus_!" The blonde's wand flew out of his hand and landed near some bushes.

The beefy brunette, Jay Goyle and the lean, lighter brunette, Brock Dolohov, abruptly turned around. Scorpius Malfoy turned as well, stunned and on edge.

Andrew took a small step back, sighing. He did not want to get in a fight today, or any day for that matter. Being a pacifist, fights were never his thing. Albus, on the other hand, was a different story. He took a step forward, not minding if he had a small duel with Scorpius right now. After all, the git had managed to both embarrass and confuse him yesterday. Revenge was a bitch.

"I wasn't going to do anything, I swear." Scorpius finally spoke, his eyes wide sans the gleam in them. He tried to explain himself as if he were in trouble with the headmaster.

"That's not what it looked like," Albus fired back, arms folded across his chest. Jay took a step closer to Albus. He was huge in comparison. "Mind your own damn business, _Potter_."

Albus narrowed his eyes, focusing his attention back to Scorpius. He could care less what the mindless Goyle thought or said. "So now you've taken to picking on innocent bunnies, have you? Seems a bit cowardly considering they can't exactly fight back. That what you're afraid of?"

Scorpius pushed Jay out of the way and stepped closer to Albus, scowling at him. "Brock, fetch me my wand," he commanded. Brock immediately obeyed.

"Do you want something, Potter?" His voice was thick with venom.

Albus glanced at the helpless rabbit. It had a gash on its side, which reminded him of the dead unicorn they saw in the woods earlier.

Andrew tugged on Albus's sleeve and said, "Let's just go mate. Let it alone."

"Oh, we wouldn't want to impose on your little makeout session with each other." This statement came from Brock. He and Jay laughed aloud. Jay continued to make more jokes about Andrew and Albus being gay lovers.

_"Everte Statum!" _Jay flew, twisted in the air, and landed a few feet away from them. Brock rushed to his side. Albus was used to being made fun of for his sexuality, but to bring his straight-edge friend into the jokes? That pissed him off!

Andrew looked pleadingly at Albus. He felt extremely uncomfortable, more so than before, in this situation. But Albus avoided making eye contact. _I can't back down. Not now._

"You could get suspended for killing the school's animals." _I wouldn't mind getting expelled for killing you and your posse._

Scorpius finally opened his mouth, letting out a light laugh. "We weren't going to kill it. Just having a little fun, that's all."

"Oh yeah? Tell that to the innocent animal over there!" Albus' dislikement for Malfoy grew even more. And thankfully, that overshadowed his attraction for the Slytherin.

Scorpius glanced at the rabbit, then bit his lower lip. Meanwhile, Jay, having recovered, glared and pointed his wand at Albus.

"Al, stop!" Andrew held Albus back from doing anything. They'd attract a crowd if things kept going in this direction.

"Look at the two lovebirds, holding each other. _Faggots_," Jay spat.

"Oh shut-up!" Scorpius yelled at Jay and Brock, "Stop being so bloody immature!" This statement was a surprise to all parties. "Let's go."

"But Scorp, you need to show us that trick!" Brock exclaimed, hurrying to his leader's right side while Jay took the left. "I'm not in the mood," Scorpius snapped as the three Slytherins walked toward Hogwarts.

Andrew faced Albus and glared. "You need to learn to control your temper!"

"Sorry," he said, and he meant it. Albus knew Andrew didn't like these difficult, tense situations. "Let's go show everyone our unicorn tail hairs," he said, lightening the mood. This suggestion quickly brightened Andrew, and they bounded off toward the Gryffindor tower.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Albus was laying down in the grass on the lawn, eyes closed. He'd needed some fresh air, especially since lessons started tomorrow. And for some reason, he couldn't get Scorpius Malfoy out of his head, no matter how hard he tried. He even started being more social toward other people, yet the stupid Slytherin was still on his mind.

Before, Albus had never thought about him in any way other than his sworn enemy. Al remembered getting off the train in his first year and meeting Scorpius for the first time. Scorpius had walked straight up to him and sneered, "So you're the famous Harry Potter's son, eh?"

Albus absolutely hated being referred to as 'the famous Harry Potter's son.' That title attracted too much attention than for which he cared; besides, if he had to have a title, he'd rather earn it himself.

Albus had retorted back, "And I hear you're the infamous Draco Malfoy's son. Has he gone to Azkaban yet?"

Needless to say, the two had been going at it since then, the insults and bantering growing worse with each passing year.

And now here was Albus, perplexed. He didn't want his stomach to do flip flops every time he saw Scorpius. He didn't want to dream about Scorpius. He didn't want to be so concerned with how he looked, just in case Scorpius happened to notice. He didn't want to feel any other feelings besides annoyance and dislike toward Scorpius.

And Albus couldn't tell anyone. It was one thing for his friends to fully accept that he was gay, but they might not be so accepting anymore if they knew he had a crush on a Malfoy.

_It doesn't matter though because I don't like him. I won't. I can get over him, no big deal. Besides, I'm just probably - _"Ow!"

Albus abruptly opened his eyes, having felt something hard hit his head. He sat up and saw a rock lying near him.

"That was for disarming me." A voice got louder, then a face appeared in view.

Albus groaned. _And speaking of the bastard. Geez, did I accidentally summon him or something?_

"You asked for it," Albus stated flatly.

Scorpius laughed, plopping himself down beside Albus. _Ugh, go away! You're torturing me! _Albus yelled silently in his head. He wanted to say this but, instead, narrowed his eyes and suspiciously asked, "What are you doing Scorpius"

"What?" The Slytherin asked innocently. "Can I not have an innocent conversation with you?"

Albus stared at Scorpius as if he had three heads and sixteen eyes, and stayed quiet for a few moments. Scorpius, growing serious, turned his head to face the lake. "Well, I guess...I just...felt bad. For the jokes Jay and Brock were making." He bit his lower lip, his forehead creased into a frown; Albus' heart started thudding harder at the sight.

It was hard to concentrate on what Scorpius had just said because it was so out of character. Dumbfounded, he asked, "You-you felt bad?" A small smile crept at the corner of his lips.

Scorpius turned his head around, his face in a hardened expression. "Don't think too much into it, Potter. But yeah, I should have hexed them, too. They were being idiots."

Albus knew this was probably hard for Scorpius to say; he had to commend the guy. He shrugged and softly replied, "It's okay. I'm used to it." Not everyone at Hogwarts was fond of the homosexual community. _Quite ridiculous, in my opinion. _"Felt bad for Andrew, though," Albus said quietly as an afterthought.

Scorpius nodded, then asked, "So you and Andrew aren't -"

"No, definitely not," Albus cut him off. He was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable talking about this, given the current situation.

"Rumors, I guess." Scorpius nervously laughed, fiddling with a piece of grass. Normally, he didn't let his guard down like this, allowing for some vulnerability to show. Scorp wasn't exactly sure why he was doing it now; he usually never let his soft side show for anyone.

There was an awkward silence for a few minutes. Albus wasn't exactly sure what to say or how to feel. He definitely didn't want to jump to conclusions, but it struck him as odd that Scorpius was even the least bit interested in his own love life. Finally, Albus, as casually as possible, asked, "Why are you out here?"

Grateful that Albus had said something, Scorpius smirked slightly and said, "I could ask you the same thing."

Al grinned and answered, "I needed some fresh air, and some peace."

"Me too," Scorpius replied. "The commons was too suffocating and the library was too noisy."

Albus' eyes widened, making a noise in mock surprise. "You go to the library?"

Scorpius let out a light laugh. "Contrary to popular belief, yes. I'm quite the avid reader, mind you. My favorite books are about dragons, giants, and other creatures of that sort."

Albus scoffed. "Now that I can't believe! Just yesterday you tried to murder that poor rabbit."

"No, not me," Scorpius said defensively. "It was mostly Jay and Brock. I was just an innocent bystander."

"That's even worse, and egging them on, to boot."

Scorpius opened his mouth, then closed it. He was quiet, at a loss for words, for a few seconds. Finally he asked, "Well, what were you doing near the barn?"

Albus contemplated on whether to answer him or not. He wasn't sure he could trust Scorpius, even if their conversation were absurdly light-hearted. It was also completely astounding that they were even holding a conversation! To be safe, though, Albus vaguely said, "We found a dead unicorn. Got some hair from the tail, even."

"No horn?"

"It was already gone."

"Damn. Should have gotten there faster. Those things sell for a vast number of galleons."

"If only."

The two boys fell silent once again, staring at each other. This went on for a couple moments. Eventually, Scorpius cleared his throat and looked back at the lake. His intense silver eyes quickly brightened as he leaned back on his elbows. "Let's have a little fun, shall we?" He turned back to Albus, that all too familiar gleam in his eyes.

Albus sighed, knowing this would not have a good outcome. Nonetheless, he asked, "What'd you have in mind?"

Scorpius paused briefly, then casually stated, "Bet you five galleons you won't skinny dip in the lake."

Albus seemed to have frozen in place, not sure if he had heard correctly. "S-skinny dipping in the lake? I-I can't do that," He stuttered, his voice going an octave higher.

Scorpius leaned in, getting closer, which caused Albus's heart to beat faster, if that were even possible. "Have a sense of humor, Potter! Besides, there's no one here to bust us."

Al glanced around him, just to make sure. There were only a couple of people around, immersed in either their studies or conversations. Meanwhile, Scorpius had already taken off his shirt, revealing a lean, tan stomach. _Well that answers my previous question from a couple of weeks back. Is that a six-pack?!_ He averted his eyes, trying not to gawk.

Instead, he focused on what Scorpius was trying to get him to do. He sniffed at the thought. "I am no way in hell getting naked with you."

"Afraid I might see you get a boner? Well, that's if you even have a dick. I'm still not sure." Scorpius had a pronounced smirk upon his face, clearly enjoying himself. Albus, on the other hand, was glaring. Besides, that was precisely what he was afraid of.

Scorpius sighed, not knowing why Albus had to be so serious all the time. "Don't worry, I'll keep my pants on. But if you're too much of a _pansy_- " Scorpius broke off, taunting the Gryffindor.

_Pansy?! _That did it! No one called Albus a pansy! Off went his shirt, and down came his pants. He turned around so that Scorpius wouldn't have to see his "junk." He hesitantly took his briefs off, both hands censoring his bum and privates, then ran and dove into the cool lake. Al felt free, being naked and all, in the water.

Coming up for a breath, Scorpius had jumped in and was right beside him. Albus backed away, not wanting Scorpius to get too close. "Don't crowd my space."

Scorpius laughed, then got closer; he enjoyed making Albus squirm. Albus on the other hand thought it was a bit rude; it was as if Scorpius were taking advantage of him.

Al splashed Scorpius, "Stop it!"

Scorpius splashed back, then went underwater to avoid being splashed again. Albus stiffened. _Please don't get hard. Please don't get hard. Please don't get hard,_ he willed silently in his head, trying to think of something else. Boogey-flavored jelly beans and fruitcake immeaditely came to mind. Those were his worst foods. That, and lima beans.

Suddenly, a voice interrupted his thoughts. "What the bloody hell?!"

Albus slowly turned just as Scorpius came up from the water. There, standing at the edge of the bank, was a small blonde in Hufflepuff robes. Albus guessed that she was a couple of years younger than he and Scorpius.

The girl was staring at them, her eyes wide. Albus wasn't sure if it were because she saw him and Scorpius together in the lake or if she had noticed the pile of clothes on the ground. Probably a mixture of both.

Scorpius casually spoke up, "Care to join us?"

The girl's eyes widened even more, her face reddening. It was obvious she was mortified.

"If not, then you must pretend you didn't see anything. This is an exclusive stripper club. Our theme for this week is Merpeople," Albus said, a grin forming.

The girl, mortified even more, sprinted away from them. Albus and Scorpius glanced at each other, then bursted out into laughter.

"That poor girl is going to be traumatized for life!" Albus exclaimed, making his way back to the bank. He looked back at Scorpius, then glanced from side to side to see if it were clear. When he was sure no one was watching them, Albus carefully got up and placed his hands to cover his private area. Then he quickly grabbed his clothes and pulled them on his body.

Scorpius got out soon after Albus, his boxers soaked. "I guess I owe you five galleons. You've got guts...and a dick."

Albus turned around, his face reddening. He was about to retort an insult, but Scorpius was already heading toward Hogwarts, clothes in hand. Albus sighed, but it was more happy than anything. Who knew skinny-dipping was such an adrenaline rush! And he was going to blame the adrenaline rush on skinny-dipping and skinny-dipping only.

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**Soo this is my favorite chapter so far. :D tehe.**

**R&R**

**And I'll have the next chapter up hopefully by tomorrow.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Dark Duchess and Shadow Queen: ooh, I know! Wish I had a Scorpius of mine own to..have fun with. xD**

**Disclaimer: Is my name J.K. Rowling? No.**

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Chapter 5

A little over a month had passed since the "stripping club" and surprisingly - though Albus should not have been the least bit surprised - Scorpius was back to being his bastardly self. No mention of what had happened came from either boy. No conversation occurred among them. It was back to banter and insults, or rather, it was back to Scorpius insulting Albus and Albus ignoring the insults for the most part.

But Albus was dying inside from the torture. He had thought that maybe - just maybe - Scorpius were gay. It was a tiny flicker of an idea that had passed through his mind that day at the lake, but Albus had to quickly vanish the idea. He could not allow himself to think such thoughts simply because he absolutely could not like Scorpius Malfoy. Albus hated being so masochistic.

Thankfully, immediately following that day, Scorpius avoided Albus as much as possible, and when he couldn't, he made petty jabs with his friends at the Gryffindor boy. The git was so bloody confusing! And the worst part was that Al was most likely reading too much into what Scorpius did or didn't do to him, just as he had with Eros. _I give up on boys altogether. I'll just die alone. It's better than going through all this stupid trouble. Or maybe I'll just have a platonic, arranged marriage with a drama-free girl. _Yet, no matter what he did, he could not get the tall, platinum blond Slytherin out of his mind.

"ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER!"

A burst of pain suddenly flooded his left ear. Al immediately shot up in his bed and looked to his left. Andrew was kneeling beside his bed post.

"Finally! I've been saying your name for the past minute. It's time for potions."

"Hngh?" As if he were in a trance, Albus remained stationary, merely blinking at his friend.

"What is wrong with you mate? You've been lying in this bed for two hours. And you're not even dressed in your robes!"

Finally realizing that someone was speaking to him, Al woke from the trance. "Shit, sorry. Guess I lost track of time."

"Get dressed, you git!" Andrew threw Albus' robes at him and went to wait in the commons.

Five minutes later, Albus, his robes wrinkled and his black untidy hair sticking out more than usual, sprinted out the commons, grabbing Andrew with him. They power-walked toward potions as fast as they could without getting yelled at by a prefect or a professor.

"Hey, have you been feeling alright? You haven't quite been yourself lately. And, well, I'm a little worried," Andrew said to his friend as they walked fast down the hall.

"I feel fine," Albus lied.

But Andrew saw right through it.

"You don't _seem_ fine. You know you can tell me anything, right Al?"

"Duh. So don't worry about it." Another lie. Obviously he couldn't tell anyone, not even his best friend, that he might possibly have a _miniscule _crush on Malfoy, their sworn enemy. It had already been hard enough for Andrew to accept in the fourth year that his best mate was gay.

They made it to potions two minutes late, got a scolding by Professor Donovan, and hurried to their seats.

While Albus and Andrew were brewing ingredients for the Fire Protection Potion, Rose, having already finished, stood by them. She had seen that they were nowhere near done and took pity on the two Gryffindors. "Hey Albus, what do you think of Lysander Riviera?" Rose casually asked her cousin as she stirred the contents in their cauldron. By this time, she had just decided to take over since Andrew almost blew everyone up. Potions was not Albus nor Andrew's strong point.

"Is he that greasy loser from Ravenclaw?" Andrew asked Rose. Rose scowled at Andrew, fearing that he might ruin her master plan.

"He isn't a loser, Andrew," Rose sharply said. Andrew just shrugged, unconvinced.

Albus curiously studied the auburn Ravenclaw. "Why?" He slowly asked her, suspicious that she was trying, yet again, to set him up with this gross and flamboyant fifth-year Ravenclaw. Seriously, Lysander Riviera gave a bad name to the homosexual community. And personally, Albus was 98% positive that Lysander had decided to like boys after he couldn't get any of the ladies. It wasn't just his looks, though the greasiness and severe acne were pretty off-putting; the guy was just bloody annoying and not to mention a know-it-all.

"I don't care much for the guy to be quite honest." He shrugged and began to stir a bit so that he was contributing _something_ to this stupid assignment. "And no, Rose, for the millionth time you are not setting me up with him."

Rose let out a frustrated huff. "Why not? He's-"

"Gay?" Albus curtly interrupted her. "Not all gay people have to like each other, you know. We can be picky too."

"Actually, I was going to say that he's nice. And if you weren't soo glum about being _so _lonely, I wouldn't be asking."

Albus glared at her, then quickly turned to his cauldron. Rose softened a bit as she said, "Sorry Al. But please can you just do this for me? A favor for me, your favorite cousin? I'll get you treacle tarts and chocolate cake." She sweetly smiled, batting those big brown eyes of hers at him. His own bright eyes widened, then narrowed. "You little sneak! You've already told him that I'd go on a date with him, didn't you!"

She smiled sheepishly and replied, "Tomorrow at the library at 4:30. Please, Albus. You might find that you really like him." Albus highly doubted that.

"Ugh, why are you so persuasive?"

"You're just a big softie," she laughed.

"Fiiiine. I'll go. But you owe me big time, and it'll take more than delicious sweets." Rose jumped, squealed, and hugged her cousin. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Albus shook his head and sighed. The things he did for people. But inside, he hoped that Lysander would be just the thing to keep his mind off of Scorpius. And Al was sure that there was a remedy for acne and greasy hair.

---

Albus spent more time than usual in the mirror to get his hair just right, or rather, not as crazy as it usually was. After about ten minutes of trying to tame his medium-length black hair which inconveniently stuck straight up rather than flopping down over his eyes, he decided he needed major help so he sought out Tilly to cut his hair. With anyone else this would have been a terrible idea, but Tilly had the best hair of all the Gryffindor girls. She was always changing and cutting her hair in funky ways. Right now her hair was a long dark purple with blunt bangs.

Luckily he saw her studying in the commons. Albus frantically ran up to Tilly, comb stuck in his hair, and said, "I need your help!"

Tilly took one look at him and hurried him to her room. A big vanity mirror stood near the window. Albus tilted his head at the dresser. "Are you sure you're allowed to have this here?" She shrugged and nonchalantly replied, "Probably not. But no one has said anything about it yet, so it stays."

Good enough for him. _I don't think anyone, if they had a problem with it, would say anything to Tilly anyway because they know that she'd spread vicious rumors. _Two rules about Tilly that Albus had learned early on was to not share anything personal with her and to not make her mad. And it'd worked so far.

He sat patiently on the ground while Tilly tousled his hair. "So I'm thinking hot pink," she declared, half-joking.

"No, that's okay. I'd rather you just cut it all off. I'm tired of messing with it. But make it look nice, k?"

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing." Then Tilly transfigured her quill into scissors.

Ten minutes later, Albus' hair was short and tame. He glanced in the mirror and ran his fingers through his hair; it looked much better. "Thanks, Tilly. I owe you one."

"Don't mention it," she grinned. "But are you sure you don't want hot pink? Just on the bangs?"

Albus laughed and replied, "Positive." Then he power-walked to the library, hoping that he wasn't late.

Once there, he immediately spotted Lysander at a table near the door. Al grimaced because not only was he not exactly looking forward to this so-called date, Lysander just had to sit at a table in which everyone could see them! As he slowly approached Lysander, Albus tried to be open-minded, but it was pretty difficult. Lysander's greasy, long black hair was slicked back and he had huge wire-rimmed glasses perched on the tip of his nose. Albus stifled a sigh, not wanting to judge a book by its cover. But again, this guy was making it extremely difficult for Albus to be polite.

Lysander looked up at Albus and smiled. "Hi Lysander," Albus greeted the Ravenclaw, sitting down in a chair across from him. "How are you?"

"Exuberant now that you've finally arrived. I thought you weren't going to show and I was getting a little worried." He let out a spurt of nervous laughter. Albus slightly raised an eyebrow at how shaky his fingers were. "There's no need to be nerv-" Albus stopped, having gotten a whiff of something that smelled like charcoal.

"What's that smell?" Albus asked, his nose wrinkled.

Lysander grinned, glad that Albus had noticed his cologne. "It's a dragon scent. Rose told me that you liked dragons so I figured this would win you over."

_I'm going to kill her, _he thought. "It's, uh, very nice." Albus put on a faux smile._ This kid is a freak! _"So, uh, do you play Quidditch?"

"No, no. I'm afraid of heights and it's bad for my sinuses. But I watch you play. You're brilliant up there."

_Kill me. _"Um, thanks I guess," Albus politely replied. "What do you like to do, then?"

"I'm actively involved in the choir. I'm a first tenor," he said proudly, pushing his gigantic glasses higher on his nose. "But mostly I just hang out at the library and look up interesting facts."

"That's...that's fascinating," Albus tried not to come across as sarcastic, even though he was.

"I know. I get all the solos. And for a fifth-year, that's almost unheard of."

"I see."

"Don't you want to know why?" Before Albus could say 'not really,' Lysander continued, "Usually the first- and seventh-years get solos. Know why?"

Albus was just about fed up with this annoying, smelly fifth-year. As Lysander continued his rant, Albus invented ways of ditching the guy and getting revenge on Rose.

Suddenly, he heard a familiar, snarky voice behind him that interrupted his thoughts.

"Nice hair, Potter."

Albus turned around, thankful to see Malfoy (though Malfoy had probably just insulted his haircut) interrupt the worst date ever. But his face fell when he saw Malfoy's arm around a blonde Slytherin's waist.

"I like his hair. It looks positively dashing and works well with his bone structure," Lysander remarked, taking Albus's hand. Al's face grew red not because he was blushing but because of embarrassment. He quickly removed his hand from Lysander's sweaty grip.

"Wait, you two are _together?_" Scorpius asked incredulously.

"Ew," the blonde said.

"Yes, do you have a problem with that?" Lysander shot back at the same time as when Albus loudly said, "No!"

Lysander stared at Albus, open-mouthed. "Wait, what do you mean 'no,' Ally?"

"Only Rose can call me that," Albus retorted coldly and irritated. "Actually, I have to be somewhere. This was, um, interesting." Then Albus abruptly stood up and was about to bolt out of that library faster than a golden snitch when Scorpius dropped his arm from the girl's waist and said, "Yeah, you have to help me with that Charms assignment, Albus."

Albus looked at Scorpius questioningly, debating whether he should go along with Scorpius or run. Then the blonde wrapped her arms around Scorpius and purred. "Scorpy," she kissed his neck and continued, "I thought we were going to the back of the library to-" and then she murmered in his ear.

That's it. Albus was running.

Scorpius shrugged off the girl and exclaimed, "Sorry. Busy." And with that, he grabbed Albus' wrist and pulled him into a secluded spot in the back of the library. The shelves held books upon books about Divination so they'd be safe and alone.

Albus was acutely aware that Scorpius was still holding his hand. "Do you mind?" He sneered, freeing his hand from Scorpius's grip.

"Oh, sorry."

"What exactly are you doing? Bringing me here so that you can hex me once and for all?"

Scorpius laughed and replied, "Surprisingly, no. I'm saving you from that greasy poof."

Albus grinned, disregarding the term "poof." "Thanks. I was dying there. He is the epitome of my worst nightmare, and is probably my biggest stalker."

"You should be flattered. I would be."

Albus raised his eyebrows. "If that freak were your biggest fan, you'd be flattered? Well then, let me tell him how much you want him so that he'll get off me!"

"Hell no! You do that and I really will hex you."

Albus laughed. Then he stopped. "Are we having another cordial conversation?"

Scorpius grinned sheepishly. "Guess so. Weird, huh?"

"No kidding. You're really confusing."

"What do you mean?" Scorpius asked the Gryffindor.

"Well, I can't figure you out. I mean, you're nice to me one minute and you're mean to me the next."

Scorpius thought about this a moment before saying, "Actually, I don't think I've ever been nice to you."

"Then what are you doing now?"

"Please, I had to get away from Olivia. She's so annoying."

Albus tilted his head, confused. "Wait, so you two aren't-"

"Hell no. She's a good kisser and that's pretty much all she's worth."

Albus rolled his eyes, still confused. _I guess he's straight then. Huh. I'd have never thought. _He sat on a table, wondering how long he had to stay here before Lysander and Olivia went away. He was feeling a bit deflated now when he should have been relieved. He wanted to be relieved, but his head and his heart didn't exactly see eye to eye.

During the silence, Scorpius sat on the table next to Albus. He finally spoke, "Actually Albus, I..well, I sorta.." Scorpius didn't finish his sentence and got lost in thought.

Albus turned to Scorpius, his heart beginning to beat faster being so close to Scorpius' face..his lips..._Stop, focus on the eyes. What pretty eyes. No, dammit, focus on the poster near him._ It wasn't working so he closed his eyes.

And in that three seconds of his eyes being closed, Albus felt wet lips upon his own. He immediately opened his eyes and saw Scorpius' nose. He pulled away, shocked and flabbergasted.

"Shit, I'm sorry." Scorpius looked just as shocked and flabbergasted as he. "I don't know why I did that. Shit."

Albus' heart started beating a faster, and before he could stop it, a big grin appeared on his face. "No way, I knew it! But I didn't want to."

Scorpius still looked completely shocked. "Uh, knew what?" He was physically shaking.

"You're a poof too!"

Scorpius started to say no, then stopped. He opened and closed his mouth two more times before answering, "I don't know what I am. But I do know that for some daft reason unbeknownst to me, I like you. And I might be under the Imperius curse because that's the only explan-"

Albus interrupted Scorpius' thoughts by snogging him. His head was swirling but all he wanted to do - and had wanted to do for awhile now - was snog the gorgeous blond boy. Scorpius and he shyly madeout for three minutes before pulling away.

Scorpius' silver eyes were glowing, which made Albus smile. "This is unreal. Pinch me."

"Okay," Scorpius said, pinching Albus hard in the arm.

"I didn't mean literally, you git!" He cringed and rubbed his arm, then laughed. Scorpius joined in. They snogged for another 30 seconds before Scorpius pulled away, a serious look upon his face. "This has to be secret. No one can know."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. If I told anyone that I'd snogged Scorpius Malfoy, I'd have dementors after me."

"It'd be worse than dementors," Scorpius grinned, reassured.

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**I know I said that I'd have this chapter up by yesterday, but a 4,000 word essay had to take precedence. So don't hate me :)**

**R&R**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry that it took me a little bit. This was my only free day to type it. But here you go! I hope you enjoy :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in Harry Potter; don't sue me.**

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Chapter 6

Andrew and Albus were walking on the Hogwarts grounds, talking about Quidditch tryouts that were in a week, when Andrew froze. Albus, who was still walking, ran into his friend, nearly knocking him over. "Andrew, what the hell?"

"Albus," Andrew whispered loudly. "Th-there she is." He pointed to a girl in Hufflepuff robes who was sitting on the grass, reading; Albus immediately knew to whom he was referring. Arabelle Trotsky. She was in their year. She was tall and had long, wavy golden-blond hair; the girl was very pretty. Andrew had had a crush on her for a year or so, but had only talked to her maybe three times.

"Go talk to her!" Albus demanded.

Andrew's ears reddened at the thought. He was still frozen in place. Andrew had a hard time talking to girls. It was embarrassing, really; not to mention so unlike the outgoing, talkative Andrew he knew. "I'll go with you. She likes me."

Andrew snapped his head around to look at Albus. "What? How do you know? Have you talked to her before?"

"Just the same as you. But she's a girl and I'm gay."

Andrew gave him a blank stare. Albus sighed at his friend's lack of common knowledge. He explained, "Generally in my experience, girls, and especially girls who like fashion - take note of the fashion magazine, A La Mode, in her hand - want to have a gay best friend. It's a weird, subconscious desire that they have. And we've talked about shoes and such before."

Andrew blinked, unconvinced. "Albus, you mismatch your socks, so how can you have a conversation with her about _shoes_?"

"Alright, so I just nodded my head a lot, agreeing with whatever she said. But the important thing is that I put in a good word for you."

Andrew's eyes grew wider, shocked. "Wha-wait, why haven't you told me this before? What'd she say?" He grabbed Al's shoulders and shook them.

"Geez, calm down. I saw her in Diagon Alley a little bit before school started. And I meant to tell you, I'd just forgotten." _I'm such a bad friend. But still, it's pretty funny to see Andrew freak over girls. It makes me feel more sane. _Albus laughed aloud to himself.

"What did she say about me?" Andrew's eyes were still wide, intense. He was about to hit Al over the head with his spellbooks.

Al thought for a moment, then replied, "She thinks you're cute, but she doesn't know you well enough. So talk to her."

Andrew's ears perked up when Albus said that she thought he was cute. "Really?" Andrew glanced back at Arabelle; she was walking into the castle. "Bugger, she's leaving!"

Albus rolled his eyes. "Merlin's beard, you're so difficult! Catch up to her, stupid, and ask her what she's reading."

"But you've just told me what she's reading." He watched Arabelle walk closer to the castle and bit his lip.

"Andrew, I swear if you do not go over there -"

"Okay, okay, fine. Thanks Al!" He grinned at his friend, then practically sprinted to Arabelle. Albus tutted to himself, shaking his head, as he walked away. Andrew was so dense sometimes. Well, no, most of the time.

This thought made him think of the disgusting Lysander, and then he had a sudden urge to find Rosie.

---

It wasn't until after dinner in the Great Hall that he could speak with his cousin. He found her and Blake heading out of the hall, their hands intertwined. _I swear these two are one human being. Can they not keep their hands off each other for one second?_ He wasn't _too _big a fan of PDA.

Nonetheless, Al caught up to the two lovebirds and tapped them on the shoulder. Rose turned around and practically yelled, "Ally! Hey!"

Al laughed and said hi back, but did so much more quietly.

"I've been looking for you everywhere today! How was your date?" She smiled, always straight to the point.

Albus narrowed his eyes. "It was horrible, actually."

Rose tilted her head to the side, genuinely confused. "Seriously? Lysander told me it went great."

"Maybe for him," Albus muttered. "I love you and everything, Rosie, but you are never setting me up with anyone again." He grinned at her so that she'd know that he wasn't mad at her.

Suddenly, Blake started uncontrollably laughing. "Rose-bear, you set Albus up with Lysander Riviera?! For a straight-O student, you're pretty dumb."

Rose hit Blake on the arm, then sheepishly grinned. "Sorry that it went so terribly, Ally."

"It's okay; I survived," he said. _Besides, if I hadn't met up with Lysander, I wouldn't have had snogged Scorpius._ Albus still wasn't sure if that were a bad or good thing yet.

He, Blake, and Rose chatted for a bit more, then went their separate ways. Albus needed to catch up on homework that he'd put off.

---

The following days after the Lysander thing, Albus and Scorpius secretly met up in the library in the Divination aisle. It was their very own secret place. The two boys talked about life, family, Quidditch, etc.; but mostly they just snogged. Scorpius was such a great kisser, probably because he had so much experience. Albus, on the other hand, had little to none. But Scorpius seemed to enjoy it, nonetheless.

One day while snogging during their free period in the library, Scorpius seemed distracted. He wasn't as into it per usual. Albus tried harder, wrapping his arms tighter around Scorpius' back, moving his tongue in a circular motion inside Scorpius' mouth. But it did no good. The Slytherin still remained indifferent.

Albus pulled away and self-consciously asked, "Have I done something wrong?"

Scorpius broke out of his trance, his eyebrows furrowed. Something was on his mind. "Huh? No, sorry. I was just thinking."

"About what?" Albus pressed.

Scorpius hesitated telling Albus, not sure if he could trust his new hook-up buddy yet. "It's nothing."

"It is not nothing. You're obviously distracted about something." Al held Scorpius' hand, giving it a squeeze. "I'm a good listener."

Scorpius hesitated for a second more, but he needed to vent to someone, and he couldn't vent to any of his friends about this. He took a rolled up Daily Prophet out from his robe pocket and opened it to the front page. "It's my father. I think he's in trouble."

Albus took the newspaper and saw a picture of a distressed-looking Draco Malfoy in court. The article stated:

_Draco Malfoy, enterpreneur and CEO of Malfoy Potions _

_Enterprise, has been suspected and charged with theft. _

_Last week, 500,000 galleons went missing from MPE._

_Investigators found bank statements from Gringotts_

_which added up to the missing money in Malfoy's vault._

_If found guilty, Malfoy will be indicted and sent to_

_Azkaban prison. The real question on everyone's mind, _

_though, is __why would Draco Malfoy, former Death __Eater, _

_need all __that money and what would he do with it?_

"Bloody hell," was all Albus could say.

Scorpius frowned and chewed on his lip. "I can't imagine him ever stealing money, especially of that huge amount. I mean, we _have_ money. Why would he need 500,000 galleons?"

Albus squeezed Scorpius' hand, unsure of what to say.

"And he didn't even tell me. I had to find out from the Daily Prophet and from everyone's snickering and petty comments." Scorpius laid on Albus' lap. Albus ran his fingers up and down Scorpius' arms as he asked, half-serious, "Want me to beat them up for you?"

Scorpius laughed, replying, "I'm thinking about doing that, myself. If one more person makes another comment, don't hold me back."

"I'll join in with you."

Scorpius raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Funny, I didn't think you liked fighting."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, you've never thrown a punch at me, and let's be honest, I've been a complete jerk to you. We've had a couple of duels, but that's it." He smirked, adding, "You're scared of me, aren't you?"

Albus laughed loudly. "Hell no! I just try with all my might to refrain from kicking your ass because my parents would be disappointed in me. They don't like that I have a short fuse."

Scorpius made a face. "I hate having to always please parents. My parents are always like, 'A true Malfoy is supposed to be like this' and 'A true Malfoy would never do that.' It's so annoying."

"Wow, that sucks," Albus remarked. "My parents are just too nice that it'd kill me to disappoint them. How messed up is that?!" He was silent for a few seconds, then added almost as an afterthought, "Surprisingly, they were cool with my being gay."

Scorpius leaned his head back to look at Albus, his eyes wide. "Seriously? My parents would first use the Cruciatius curse on me, then murder me."

Albus stroked Scorpius' hair. "Naw, I'm sure they'd be okay after a while. I mean, I thought the same thing, but then my mum said that she had sensed it all along. And my dad said he still loved me and he'd support me no matter what."

"Albus. You do not know my parents. Not everyone's family is as perfect and loving as yours. Everything has to be pristine, in order, and above average in my family." Scorpius sighed, taking the newspaper and glancing at the picture of his father. He threw it down on the ground and added, "That's why I can't believe that he'd steal. It's so out of character for him."

"Maybe he was framed," Albus suggested, trying to appease the Slytherin.

"Maybe. I think I should write a letter to my parents." Scorpius sat up from Albus' lap and turned to the Gryffindor. He grinned and said, "Thanks, Potter."

Albus, surprised that Scorpius had actually thanked him for something, smiled. "Anytime, Malfoy. I hope this situation gets better for you and your family."

"Me too," he said softly. Then he kissed Albus on the lips and walked out of the library. Albus waited a few minutes, not wanting to appear conspicous, then left as well.

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**R&R :D**

**And I hope you liked this chapter. It's a turn of events for the Malfoys...what will happen? Dun dun dun!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry..again, haha. I finish one research project and another one comes up. I hate school lol**

**NightRoseK: I get a lot of story alerts and no reviews..I don't get it. At least people are reading it though. :p And I'm glad you like it.**

**Sophia Anna-Mae: That review was riveting. ;) I hope you mean "wow" in the good way lol**

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Chapter 7

Albus and Andrew had just finished Qudditch tryouts. They were sweaty, filthy, and exhausted. Albus had been Beater last year so he was confident that he'd make it. This was Andrew's second year of trying out for Chaser. He didn't make it last year, but he practiced almost everyday over the summer with Albus' family (his family had its own Quidditch field). From what Albus saw today, Andrew did really well and would probably make the team.

"I'm proud of you, Drew," Albus lightly slapped Andrew's back as a job well done. Andrew grinned and said thanks.

Tilly ran down the bleachers, almost tripping over a handful of small first-year Gryffindors, as he and Andrew were walking past. "Wicked job, guys! I thought you were going to take Riley's hand off, Albus!"

They laughed aloud. Albus had slammed his broom into Riley's, who was a Chaser, and almost knocked the poor seventh year into the pillar. Normally aggressive, Quidditch was a great way to release his pent-up aggression and not get expelled for it; not to mention, he was naturally competitive.

"I'd hug you, but you guys smell disgusting," Tilly added, chuckling. Andrew and Albus looked at each other and mischievously grinned. Then they, arms open, reached for Tilly to give her a big bear hug. She ran from them, squealing. As they playfully tackled her, Albus noticed a line of green out of the corner of his eye. He stood up and immediately spotted Scorpius. "Hey, the Slytherins are trying out. Let's watch," he said, keeping his voice cool and even. He really wanted to see Scorpius play. The Slytherin had been a Seeker since fourth year and Albus had heard that he was good, but he had never thought so because he'd hated the guy.

He glanced back at Andrew and Tilly. They had a look of surprise and disbelief upon their faces. Albus cleared his throat and lied, "I want to seek out the competition. And, um, we can poke fun." This lying thing was not working out well for him.

"I need a shower," Andrew stated, clearly not seeing the fun in watching the Slytherins.

"Yeah, and I have a paper to write," Tilly explained, a look of perplexion plastered on her face.

"Come on guys, it'll be fun. We don't have to stay long." He then proceeded to give him his infamous puppy-dog face.

"Okay, fine, but only for a little bit," Tilly and Andrew said. Albus grinned to himself as they made their way back to the bleachers.

Twenty or so Slytherins mounted their broomsticks and flew around the field with Scorpius leading the pack. _Is Scorpius captain? _Albus smiled to himself. _He's fast. _Scorpius overlapped a few Slytherins, and then yelled out positions for each person to play of whom was trying out.

Then Malfoy and a seventh year, Teri Flint, the co-captain, landed on the ground and blew their whistles. As the two captains made their way to the stands to make their picks for the team, Scorpius spotted Albus. His ears reddened as Albus smiled at him and he quickly looked away, taking his seat in the front row.

Albus grinned, his cheeks flushed. Then he felt a pang in his arm. "Ow," Albus turned to see that Tilly had punched him; and she was smiling about it. "What was that for?"

That same huge smile upon her face, Tilly became really animated, her eyes wide, gesturing wildly. "Your cheeks are red and you're blushing! Do you fancy someone?" Her mouth got wider as she glanced at the field which was filled with Slytherins. "A Slytherin?! Is that why you wanted to watch them play? Who's the lucky guy?"

"Tilly, shut up!" He glared at Tilly, his cheeks growing redder and redder.

Then Andrew, much to Albus' dismay, piped in, "You like a _Slytherin_?" His voice was dripping with venom on the word 'Slytherin'.

Albus heavily sighed, furrowing his brow. "No, I don't fancy anyone, and especially not a Slytherin." It took all of his strength to look his friends in the eyes.

"Then why'd you blush?" Tilly curiously asked, unconvinced.

"My cheeks are red because I'm red and sweaty," he lied, narrowing his eyes and holding his breath.

Tilly gave Albus a weird look, disappointed that Albus didn't like anyone; she thrived for juicy gossip. "If you say so. And speaking of sweaty, you two reek something awful and it's giving me a headache."

"Fine, we can leave," Albus reluctantly said. He wanted to see Scorpius play, but since the Malfoy was judging the other Slytherins, Al decided that it would be in his best interest to leave. He didn't want Tilly and Andrew to find out about him and Scorpius; plus, he really needed a shower.

As they made their way down the bleachers, Albus caught Scorpius' eyes. He mouthed the words "four," then quickly turned away. Albus smiled to himself as he headed toward the castle with his friends, ready to take a nice, hot shower.

---

4:20. Albus sat in a chair, skimming through a book called, _Controlling Your_ _Future._ It wasn't bad, actually. He had only gotten to the beginning of chapter two - the book was 647 pages long - and it was about not letting fate determine one's destiny.

4:23. _Where is he?_ Albus was beginning to think that Scorpius had stood him up. _Did I do something or say something to him? Or did he mean four o' clock for a different day? Or did tryouts get late?_

4:28. That was it. Albus closed the book and stood up. He was just about to walk out of the library when he saw Scorpius approach the Divination aisle.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. My friends were getting onto me for going to the library so much."

"It's fine," Albus sighed in relief, glad that Scorpius hadn't stood him up. "I was just reading. How'd tryouts go?"

"We're going to have a good team; I'm excited for it."

"Well, not as good as the Gryffindors," Albus grinned. "I didn't know you were captain though. I guess you must be pretty good."

Scorpius grinned and bragged, "Well I _have_ beaten your brother almost every time." James, the captain, was the seeker for Gryffindor's team. He took after father's quidditch skills. Albus, on the other hand, was decent at Quidditch, but certainly not the greatest. He wasn't too fast, but he had impeccable balance on his broom.

Albus rolled his eyes at Scorpius' arrogance. He remarked, "Guess I never noticed because I've blocked out the few of your accomplishments."

"Or you blocked them out because you were ashamed that I'm better than you at, well, everything," he retorted, giving that infamous smirk of his.

Albus stifled a guffaw. "Ha! Like what?"

"Oh, quidditch, potions, girls, overall manliness. The list could go on and on."

Albus shook his head, grinning. "First off, potions is useless, and your Dad owns a potion-making business so that's a bit unfair."

"Yeah, well, your parents are - or were - insane Quidditch players," Scorpius retorted back.

Albus narrowed his eyes; Scorpius did have a point. He chose to ignore what the stubborn Malfoy said and continued. "Anyway, as for the girls, I'm a hit with the ladies. They all want what they can't have, which is a gay guy."

At this, Scorpius bursted out laughing, and was shushed by a random passerby. "Maybe I should try that method, then." He wagged his eyebrows and grinned, still chuckling.

Albus started to smile, but then stopped. "Wait, what are you?" He had wanted to know this impending question for awhile now, but hesitated to ask because he didn't want to ruin the light-hearted mood.

"Uhh, well, I dunno. A wizard?"

"No, no, you know what I mean."

Scorpius bit his lip. The tone became a tad more serious as Scorpius, who stopped laughing, just stared at Albus, not sure what to say. "I mean, I kiss you, haven't I?"

"Yes, but you kiss girls, too." Albus grimaced and mentally kicked himself for even bringing the topic up. But he hadn't realized how awkward this made Scorpius feel.

"Well, I don't, er, feel anything like I do when I kiss you. So, I guess, I'm just like you," Scorpius softly said, relieved that he was actually saying this aloud.

Albus grinned and moved closer, glad that he obtained the answer he was looking for. Then, he kissed Scorpius. "Like this?" He murmured, placing his hands on Scorpius' lower back. Scorpius nodded, groaning in agreement as he moved his tongue inside Albus' mouth. They laid down on the table, feeling each other up and down, moving their lips and tongue in sync.

Then Scorpius heard some shuffling. He opened his eyes and saw a guy walking toward this aisle. The same aisle where he and Albus were snogging. Scorpius flung himself off Albus and flew to the ground with a loud thud. Albus, momentarily stunned, looked dazed as he registered the guy in purple robes heading towards him.

"Found it! Found my wand!" Scorpius loudly exclaimed. The Ravenclaw looked at Scorpius to Albus and back to Scorpius again, thoroughly confused.

"Er, were you two just -" The Ravenclaw stopped, unsure of what he saw.

"He was helping me look for my wand, pervert," Scorpius hostily said. "Right, Albus?"

Albus looked at Scorpius, still dazed. His lips were still tingling. He didn't want it to stop. "Um, yeah, I have your wand," he absently responded as he pulled out his own wand from his pants pocket and held it up. Scorpius looked at Albus as if he were stupid. Confused, the Ravenclaw walked out of the aisle, deciding that he would read about Divination some other day.

Once that guy left, Scorpius sighed. "That was close."

Albus, who had come to his senses, nodded. "Sorry, I'm not a very good liar."

"Yeah, you're going to have to work on that," he said, a small smile forming upon his lips. It was kinda cute the way Albus couldn't lie. Then, his smile vanished as he added, "I don't think we're safe here. And people are starting to get suspicious. We needed to find another hiding place."

"Can't we just go out in public?" Albus felt ready to introduce to the world that he liked a Slytherin, and a Malfoy at that.

"Are you serious? Albus, no one can know that I'm gay. Like I've said, I would be murdered. Promise me you won't say anything; I'm not ready yet."

"Okay, I promise," He'd forgotten that Scorpius was still in the closet. _But how long? Because he's right; we can't always meet in the library. People will catch on._

Scorpius walked over to Albus and put his arm around the Potter's shoulder. "Hey, Hogsmeade is coming up. Maybe we can meet by the Shrieking Shack."

This brightened Albus' spirits, though he tried not to let that show. "Okay, that sounds cool."

Scorpius smiled, glad that he and Albus would get to spend a whole afternoon together, and alone. "Awesome. I'll see you then." He kissed Albus one last time, then made his way out of the library.

---

It was after dinner and all the Gryffindors went to the commons to sit by the fireplace and finish their homework. But Albus couldn't concentrate on his homework. Not that he normally did anyway, but tonight he couldn't help but think about Scorpius. The Malfoy constantly flooded his thoughts.

"Hey, what's problem seven?" A voice broke Albus' thoughts.

"Eh?"

"You're still on problem 3?" Albus looked to his right and saw Tilly staring at his paper.

Albus glanced down at his own paper, as well. Shrugging, he cheerfully replied, "Guess I can't concentrate tonight. I'll do it tomorrow."

Tilly raised an eyebrow, confused by her friend's strange behavior. "It's due tomorrow," she stated.

"No worries," he absently said, still picturing Scorpius in his mind, laughing, his bare stomach revealing his impressive six-pack. Albus grinned, happily sighing.

Ten or so seconds passed until Tilly gasped in shock and yelled, "Don't deny it, you fancy someone, Albus Severus Potter!" Heads turned to see what the commotion was all about. Tilly, realizing she had been a bit too loud, exclaimed, "What are you all staring at? Go back to your studies!"

Andrew, who was sitting across from Albus, stared at Albus, a look of bewilderment upon his face. "So it's true then?!"

Albus grew red from embarrassment, a flood of panic streaming through his body. What would he say? He couldn't tell them the truth. Albus cleared his throat and tried to lie as best he could; it seemed to him ever since he and Scorpius grew closer, he'd had to lie more often. "Um, I don't fancy someone. I was, er, I was just thinking about Quidditch and how well we did."

Suddenly, Andrew perked and happily exclaimed, "Aw man, it was great! We're going to make the team for sure, mate! I mean, did you see that goal I made on Kriggs? Brilliant!"

"Yeah, it was wicked!" _Hey, maybe I'm getting better._

"No, no," Tilly chimed in, bursting Albus' bubble, "it's so obvious now. You _do _like a Slytherin! That's why we had to watch their tryouts." She paused, and then added incredulously, "I can't believe a Slytherin is _gay_."

Albus frowned. "Tilly, stop jumping to conclusions. I don't like anyone. Go back to your homework." His eyes nervously wavered and he scratched his nose.

"Albus, you're a terrible liar," Tilly remarked.

"Yeah, and you _have_ been acting differently lately. Like, more cheerful and happier," Andrew added.

"What? I'm always cheerful and happy!"

Andrew didn't seem to agree by the look of his face, which upset Albus. _Am I not cheerful and happy? A brooder maybe, but not depressed._ "Well, I mean," Andrew nervously started, not wanting to hurt his friend's feelings, "you aren't always—" Luckily, Tilly interrupted Andrew by saying, "Anyway, back to the more important topic: who do you like?" She smiled sweetly, as if to say, "You can tell me everything and I won't tell a soul."

"I don't like anyone. Let it go," Albus snapped. His friends were a bit too intense sometimes; it was annoying. He quickly, and regretfully, added, "Besides, even if I did like someone – which I don't – I wouldn't ever tell you because your big mouth would tell the whole wizarding world!"

Tilly winced, hurt by Albus' statement. Immediately after he said it, he wanted to take it back and apologize; but then he'd be lying.

"I can keep a secret," Tilly softly said, though she knew that what she said wasn't true.

"So can I," Andrew added, hurt that his best friend was keeping a secret from him.

Albus slowly breathed in and out, the "cheer" draining from his veins. Al couldn't tell them that he liked Scorpius; they'd judge him even more than they already did. And more importantly, he had promised Scorpius that he wouldn't tell anyone; if Albus told, what he and Scorpius had would be forever gone.

Albus started gathering his books and parchment as he curtly stated, "I think I'll just finish my homework in my bed. Night." And with that, Albus briskly walked to his bed, only to lie down and heavily sigh, closing his eyes. This clandestine stuff was hard work.


	8. Chapter 8

**I am thankful for life, friends, family, and my exquisite readers who like this story. They all make me warm and fuzzy inside. :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, but I can pretend.**

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Chapter 8

Andrew and Albus were getting dressed into their muggle robes for Hogsmeade, and Albus was thrilled for the trip; he had been craving Honeydukes fudge for a few months now. Plus, he'd get to actually spend time with Scorpius outside of the library. They hadn't met up since that Ravenclaw had caught them together two weeks ago. And with studies piling up in time for mid-year exams and Quidditch practice, neither boy had had a free second.

As Andrew pulled his wind breaker over his head, he asked Albus, "Where do you want to go first? Honeydukes?"

Albus turned around, smoothing his light-blue polo which nicely accentuated his semi-tight dark-washed jeans. He frowned to himself. He and Andrew always hung out together at Hogsmeade. "I'm so sorry, I forgot to tell you that I made plans with, uh, a friend."

Andrew blinked, a blank stare plastered upon his face.

"Well, er, I thought you were going with Arabelle and I didn't want to be a third wheel," Albus hurriedly tried to explain himself. It wasn't a lie; he truly had thought that Andrew and Arabelle would be going together. But from the look on Andrew's face, Al had thought wrong.

"Why haven't you asked her out? You two seem to be hitting it off pretty well."

Andrew shrugged his shoulders, mentally kicking himself that he hadn't asked her. "I honestly didn't even think about it."

Albus just stared at his idiotic friend. "Seriously? Merlin, you are the worst with girls."

"Well, I don't want to freak her out. We've only just begun to talk."

"Yeah, and that means she's interested, you git."

"Oh. Really?" Andrew thought about this and grinned, his hopes rising.

Meanwhile, Albus rolled his eyes at how naïve Andrew was. "So this is what you're going to do," he instructed his friend, "You're going to find Arabelle and ask her to get a butterbeer with you. But, make it clear that it's a date, or else her friends will follow." Albus' face meant business so Andrew didn't dare protest. He nervously nodded while building up his courage and hoping that he wouldn't get rejected. To change the subject, he asked, "So who's this friend?"

The question caught Albus off guard a little. He, Andrew, nor Tilly had mentioned Albus' "crush," and he preferred it that way. "Uh, just, er, no one," Albus quickly muttered. "I gotta go. Good luck with Arabelle!" Then, Albus bolted out of the dorm.

---

As Albus made his way into Honeydukes to get some fudge before meeting up with Scorpius, he bumped into Rose, Lily, and Blake.

"Hey lil' sis," he said to Lily, ruffling her hair. She frowned and made a face, obviously not liking the term "lil' sis." As she grabbed a lollywand, she turned to Albus and asked, "Where's Andrew?"

"Um, I believe he's with Arabelle Trotsky." _He'd better be, or I'll hex him._

"No way!" Both Lily and Rose shouted, shocked. "He actually _talks _to her? Because from what I've observed, anytime he's tried to say even one word to Arabelle, he stammers like a bumbling idiot," Rose said.

"I've been giving him girl advice," Albus proudly declared. At this, all three kids burst out into laughter. Albus frowned and defensively stated, "It seems to be working."

Blake, laughing the hardest of the three, managed to say, "Albus, even if you...were...good with the, er, ladies, Andrew is..well, he's sorta awkward."

Albus opened his mouth to defend his best friend but closed it, realizing that Blake had a point. Andrew couldn't talk to girls. "He's getting better though. See for yourself; they're at Madam Puddifoot's," he said, grinning, as he paid for his chocolate and caramel fudge. He knew that they'd want to spy on Andrew; and so did Albus. Unfortunately, he had slightly more important matters at hand. _Matters_, Albus thought as he looked at the clock, _to_ _which he was late_. After he put his wrapped Honeydukes fudge in his pants pocket, he quickly said to his friends, "Gotta go. See you guys later!" And before anyone could ask where he was going and why, Albus ran to the Shrieking Shack.

When he arrived, out of breath, Albus glanced around; it was deserted. _Why is Scorpius always late? _He thought to himself, scowling. He sat on the dewy grass, waiting for the tardy Slytherin.

Not a minute later, Albus spotted a tussle of platinum blond hair a few yards away. Scorpius leaped out from behind a tree and rolled around James Bond-style to the next tree. Looking to his right then left, he ran to Albus, knocking the Gryffindor over on his back. Albus started laughing and asked, "Suspicious much?" Scorpius just grinned as he stood up and brushed the grass and leaves off his black jeans and his fitted gray cashmere sweater. "I thought someone was following me," he joked.

"You're so odd."

"And stealthy."

"And adorable," Albus remarked, smiling wide.

Scorpius moved closer to the brunette, a devious gleam in his eyes. "Just adorable?"

Albus firmly nodded as Scorpius came even closer, not wanting to boost his ego.

"You think I'm hot," he arrogantly exclaimed. "Say it, Potter." He pinned Albus on the ground, an inch above his face. Their lips were almost touching and Albus' heart skipped a beat. Still, Albus refused to give in to Scorpius' pride, however true the statement was. But this made Scorpius move closer to Albus' face, their nose and lips lightly brushing against each other. Scorpius' mouth brushed against Albus' cheek then to his ear as he whispered, his hot breath on Albus' skin, "Say it."

The closeness and Scorpius' hot breath tickling his skin were enough to make Albus hard. "You're gorgeous," he breathed, feeling pleasure rushing through his groins. Scorpius smiled in satisfaction and pride. He wrapped his arms around Albus' back and tenderly squeezed as their lips met for the first time in two weeks. Albus rolled over so that he could be on top. He started kissing Scorpius' neck, causing the Slytherin to shiver from pleasure. Then he lifted Scorpius' sweater up and licked each nipple, lightly sucking on each one. Next, Albus kissed his way down Scorpius' chiseled stomach. He stopped right at the hip bones and unbuttoned Scorpius' jeans, then lifted the waistband of his boxers and sensually kissed his way from one hipbone to the other. All this caused Scorpius to have a boner. Albus smiled triumphantly and brought himself back to Scorpius' face, kissing those red lips; Scorpius smiled in delight as he kissed Albus back. "You can't stop there, Albus. Go farther down," he instructed. Albus smiled wider, surprised that Scorpius wanted to take this step; he, himself, was ready.

"Let's go to the shack for more privacy," Albus softly said as he helped Scorpius up. Hands held, they opened the rusty gate which led to the Shrieking Shack. Then they saw a tall, blond figure walk out of the Shrieking Shack. As the man came closer, Scorpius realized that man was none other than Draco Malfoy. "Shit, my father! Albus, hide!"

"Where?" Albus let go of Scorpius' hand and, quickly glancing around, dove into a bush. "OW," he cursed as thorns pierced his skin. He, biting on his tongue to keep quiet, slowly took the thorns out and healed the minor wounds with a flick of his wand. Meanwhile, he tried to remain still so as not to be pierced with any more thorns and hoped that Mr. Malfoy would leave soon.

"Father, what are you doing here?" Scorpius asked as his father, who was wearing black robes and a velvet black cloak, approached his son. Taking note of his father's morbid clothes, Scorpius joked, "Did someone die?"

Draco ignored his son's last comment and said, "I could ask you the same question. Why are you here alone?" His long white-blond hair, which was held back in a ponytail, shook slightly.

Scorpius sighed. His father was an expert at avoiding difficult questions. "I'm meeting someone here," he convincingly lied while subtly adjusting and buttoning up his pants.

"Olivia Nott?"

Scorpius stared at his father, confused as to why he said Olivia's name. Olivia was a blonde Slytherin in his year, and had had a massive crush on him since he'd met her. They dated last year, but it hadn't lasted long. She was not only slutty, but extremely annoying.

"You two are still dating, aren't you?"

Scorpius groaned as he said, "Over my dead body."

Draco's face showed distress as he sighed, his tired wrinkles visible. Scorpius suddenly wondered if his father really were in trouble. "You need to date her, Scorpius. For my sake, at least."

"Why?" He scowled, knowing that he'd never date that Slytherin again. _One of the biggest regrets of my life, _he thought. Besides, he had Albus. _Or do I? What are we?_ His thoughts about his and Albus' weird relationship were interrupted when his father said, "I've been meaning to explain all this to you in a letter, but I suppose now is as good a time as ever." He deeply sighed before quietly continuing, "But I can't explain too much for the Ministry is probably watching me closely."

"Father," Scorpius tentatively interrupted, "you didn't steal the money, did you?"

His father hesitated, which caused Scorpius' stomach to drop. "Not exactly," Draco said with difficulty; he didn't want his son to be disappointed in him, but knew that the truth had to come out, nevertheless. "Scorpius, there are bad people in this world. Voldemort's" - he had difficulty saying that name - "death didn't get rid of all of them. And I've made quite a few mistakes in my life, borrowing money from some very wealthy, powerful men while building my business from scratch. But with business slowing down because the Ministry can't handle their own money, I haven't been able to pay off everyone."

Stunned and upset with this news and with his father, Scorpius sank to his knees. "I-I don't believe this." _He can't have stolen that money. My father's not a - . _He had trouble even thinking the word "thief," afraid that if he did, it'd be true. Draco kneeled next to his son and placed a strong hand on his son's shoulder. "Scorpius, listen to me. I promise you that I did not steal that money. Without that money, MPE might as well declare bankrupcy." He sighed, the lines of struggle appearing upon his forehead. "I believe that someone - or someones - got angry and wanted to shut me down while keeping the money for himself." He glared at the ground, infuriated with the bastard who ruined his life, his family, and his pride. After all that hard work he'd gone to build a better reputation for himself and for his family, it was ruined now. Draco felt like killing the son of a bitch.

"What about Grandfather?"

Draco grimaced and said, "I'm afraid my father took my trust fund away when I declined to become a member of this new death eaters ordeal." That had been the first time he'd ever stood up to his father, and it had come at a price. Now, he and his father barely spoke. His mother still sent letters and visited every now and then, but it was done in secret.

Scorpius processed all this information and decided to believe his father. After all, Malfoy's weren't liars. "I believe you. But what does this have to do with Olivia?"

Draco helped his son up and explained, "Olivia's father, Theodore Nott, is the Judge, so it's imperative that I be on his good side. And what his daughter wants is you."

"But father," Scorpius protested, "I don't like her. She's bloody annoying." _Not to mention, she's snogged every other guy in Slytherin. I could get STDS. _But he decided against telling his father that.

Draco sighed again, rubbing his temples. "Please, just do this for me, Scorpius."

Scorpius glanced at the ground and thought of Albus. He was mortified that Albus had to hear this conversation, but on some level, he was also relieved that he'd have someone to talk to.

"And it'd be best if you didn't come home for the holidays. But you can stay at either the Dolohovs or the Goyles, okay?" Draco squeezed his son's shoulders and was about to leave before he said, "Oh, and Scorpius? Why do you have a grass stain on your sweater?"

Scorpius glanced at his sweater, then brought his eyes back to his father's. "Er, I fell," he lied, sheepishly smiling.

Draco frowned in disapproval. "Merlin, at least show some poise and appreciation for gravity, would you? We _are_ Malfoys after all, and I'd like to keep whatever dignity we have left in tact."

Scorpius fought to roll his eyes. _Leave it to father to take every possible moment to criticize me._ Scorpius just nodded and mumbled sorry while he quickly hugged his father. Then, saying goodbye, Draco headed to Hog Head's Tavern.

Albus waited until Draco had completely gone before carefully coming out of the bushes. He saw Scorpius trembling and immediately went over to give him a hug. Scorpius wrapped his arms around Albus' back and buried his head in Albus' shoulder, fighting back tears. _Malfoys don't cry,_ he repeated in his head.

"I'm so sorry," Albus softly said. He wanted to ask what they should do about the Olivia situation, but decided that now wasn't the best time. Instead, he said, "At least your father didn't steal the money;" he hoped it'd cheer Scorpius up, but knew that it probably wouldn't.

"I guess, but this isn't much better." Scorpius lifted his head and sighed. "What am I going to do? He could go to Azkaban."

Albus rubbed Scorpius' back as he promised, "I'll help you in any way I can."

"Just being here for me is enough, Albus. Thank you," he softly said, kissing Albus' neck. Albus smiled softly, but knew as well as Scorpius that everything was about to change.

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**Tell me what you think and what you want to happen!**

**Just as a warning, it may take me a couple of weeks to update because I have finals soon. Please don't throw lollywands and Honeydukes fudge at me!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Wow..I meant to update a month ago. :/ So sorry this is late. This chapter was hard for me to write because it's sort of a filler chapter. Don't let that scare you away though; hopefully it's still interesting. :)**

**Disclaimer: I own not the HP characters.**

Chapter 9

For the next week, Scorpius and Olivia were seen everywhere together during the day. The day after the Hogsmeade trip, Scorpius had asked Olivia with hidden uneasiness to be his girlfriend, and she said yes. Thus, they became an item - or rather, a "faux-item."

He and Albus had agreed that in order to appease Scorpius' father, Scorpius would date Olivia but wouldn't kiss her. And after hours, the two boys would sneak out of their dorms and meet in the towers to make up for lost time; this was feasible because Filch rarely went there on account of his cat being too old to walk up all those stairs. They loved this new plan because it was so daring and clandestine; and even though they were always fatigued the next morning, it was worth it. They were falling fast for each other.

Unfortunately, Olivia wasn't so pleased with not being able to snog her boyfriend, Scorpius. His refusing her made her more and more frustrated, and it was growing harder and harder for Scorpius to successfully refuse her.

One Tuesday after dinner, Olivia confronted him. Scorpius was working on his History of Magic assignment and joking around with his friends when he heard that infamous high-pitched whine, "Scorpius Hyperion!"

Dolohov and Goyle snickered. "Here comes the lion tamer with her whip," Dolohov whispered. Scorpius punched his friend in the arm, then hurried to Olivia, an annoyed look upon his face. "What?" He snapped.

Olivia huffed and crossed her arms. "We barely spoke at dinner. Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Merlin, I don't have to talk to you every damn second of the day. Quit being so needy," he exclaimed, just loud enough for his friends to hear. He had to be the alpha-male, after all. The Slytherin guys whooped and hollered. Olivia, however, did not look too pleased. Scowling, she yanked Scorpius to a more secluded corner of the common room. Then she hugged him and squeezed his ass.

Scorpius immeaditely flinched and shrugged her off. But that didn't faze Olivia because she then wrapped her arms around his neck and started kissing him.

"Wait, Olivia," Scorpius tried to resist her, but she just hugged tighter and kissed him more intensely. Scorpius panicked and shoved her away from him. "Stop!"

Olivia opened her mouth, then closed it, hurt and shocked. Biting her lip, she softly stated, "There's someone else."

Scorpius, careful not to let any sort of emotion show on his face, shook his head. "Of course not. I just don't feel like snogging right now."

"That's bullshit. We used to snog all the time. Scorpius Malfoy always feels like snogging."

_Eh, she has a point,_ he agreed with her. But Scorpius just shrugged and leaned against the wall while trying to come up with a convincing lie.

"You're the one who asked _me _out, so I don't understand why you won't shag me. Merlin, it's not as though I have STDS!"

_Well, considering the number of guys you've shagged, I wouldn't be too surprised. _Suddenly, a light bulb went off in his head. He reached for Olivia's hands and held them while moving closer to her. In a sweet, convincing voice, he said, "Okay, this is going to sound so lame, but the reason why I've been keeping a distance is because you've been with so many guys. And every time we've made out, we weren't serious. I want things to be different; I want to be serious with you." He gently stroked her hands.

"I _am_ serious, Scorpius," she softly said, anxiously fingering the tassels on his belt. "I've only ever wanted to be with you."

Scorpius straightened up as her fingers brushed across his pants. He placed his hand under her chin and lifted it so that she met his gaze. "You need to prove it to me."

Olivia thought about it for a moment then smiled. She leaned into him, taking in his cologne and seductively whispered in his ear, "I will be the best damn girlfriend you've ever had, and by the end of the week, you won't be able to resist me." She kissed him on the neck and gently nibbled. Then her wet lips moved back to his ear. "And I'm only willing to go sober because you're so sexy." And with that, she left, leaving a very uncomfortable Scorpius standing in the darkness. He shuddered and cursed his father.

---

Albus had been lying on his bed reading The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Nicholas Flamel when Andrew bursted through the door. "I love you, mate!" He shouted as he jumped onto his best friend. "I love everyone! I even love Professor Spinx, our potions professor!"

Albus, too shocked to say anything intelligent, muttered, "Hein?"

Andrew's face was flushed with joy as he exclaimed, "I have a girlfriend! I asked Arabelle. I didn't even mean to; it just slipped out. But she said yes!"

Albus blinked a couple of times before the realization of what Andrew had just announced hit him. Then he broke out in a big grin. "That's great! I can't believe you had the balls to ask her. Nice job, mate!"

"And I owe it all to you. We should celebrate!"

Albus grinned, shaking his head at how excited his friend was. Arabelle Trotsky was officially Andrew's first girlfriend. "Calm down, man, you're going to have a heart attack from all the excitement."

"Right, I am a bit dizzy," Andrew said as he laid in the bed next to Albus and smiled. "She's a great snogger," he absently remarked. Albus stifled a chuckle. Then Andrew got a panicked look upon his face and sat up. "Wait, what if I'm a bad snogger? And what do I do now that she's my girlfriend? Should I give her space? Bring her flowers?" He looked to Albus for answers.

Albus hit Andrew in the head with his pillow and exclaimed, "Stop being such a girl. Everything's going to be fine. She likes you so just be yourself and play it cool."

Andrew bit his lip, then slowly nodded his head, reassured. "Roger that," he saluted.

Albus shook his head again and picked up his book. He read two lines when he realized that Andrew was still staring at him. He put down his book and turned to face his zany friend. "Can I help you?"

Andrew shrugged then leaned back. He nonchalantly asked, "Where were you last night? You left around 11:00."

Albus frowned and retorted, "None of your business, _mum_."

Andrew crossed his arms under his head and, still as nonchalant as possible, said, "You know, you've seemed pretty excited yourself." Albus stared at his friend, uncomfortable, for he knew where this might lead. Andrew continued, "Tilly and I were talking the other day and she swears that she saw you and some bloke holding hands and snogging in the towers."

"Why was she up there? Was she spying on me?"

"Eh, that's beside the point," Andrew quickly said. "You can deny it no longer. Albus Potter fancies someone!"

Albus groaned and scowled. "Please let this alone."

Andrew mimicked Albus' scowl, his grin completely wiped off his face. He huffed, "Al, I'm your best friend. Why won't you tell me?"

Another groan, louder this time, came from out his throat. He hated keeping a secret from his best friend, but he couldn't tell anyone. Albus had to respect Scorpius' wishes. "Let it alone," he said more firmly. Andrew narrowed his eyes, clearly upset. He got off of Albus' bed and folded his arms, about to leave. "Fine. But you know, if you're ashamed of him, you probably shouldn't be dating him." He paused, then began walking out the door. Just as he was almost completely out, Albus abruptly stated, "I'm not- I'm not ashamed of him." He got up and faced his friend. "I just can't tell you."

Andrew turned around and walked closer to Albus, a frown still upon his face. "Why? We tell each other everything. I won't care who it is, even it's Lysander."

Albus cracked a small grin at the name, Lysander; then he cringed, remembering that awful date.

"Merlin's beard, you're dating Lysander?!" Andrew exclaimed.

"What? No, eugh, hell no!"

Andrew gave a sigh of relief. "Who could possibly be worse than greasy Lysander?"

Albus paused. He was about to do it. It was going to come out like word vomit. All this secrecy for the past couple months would be ruined. He opened his mouth and the one word, three syllables automatically came out soft but clear, "Scorpius."

Andrew chuckled and nodded his head. "You're right, that is worse. Could you imagine? I don't think he has a gay bone in his body." Albus' face fell; he couldn't tell Andrew. But it took all of two seconds for Andrew to realize what Albus had actually meant. His eyes widened and all he said was, "Holy shit."

Albus grimaced and nodded in confirmation.

Andrew was silent for a minute or two, hoping that Albus would break out in a smile and say, 'Just kidding!' But Albus didn't, and the look on his face was very serious and somber. Finally, Andrew found his voice and pleaded, "Al, please, please tell me you're joking." But Albus shook his head no. "Why? How? He's so foul! And not to mention completely straight!"

"Well, he's actually not straight." Andrew sat down, about to have another almost heart attack. "And he's not so foul, not when I got to know him."

"What?" Andrew asked in disbelief. "You two have been enemies since the first day you two met. And now you're snogging him?" Albus realized that he'd have to explain everything in full detail to the drama king. He shut the door and went over to Andrew. "Look, I'll tell you everything. But first you have to promise to not tell Tilly. This has to be a secret."

"Oh, so he's ashamed of you, is it?"

"Andrew, please."

"Fine, fine. I promise."

Albus sighed, then said, "Well, I've always been attracted to him, but I covered it up by being mean to him. And it worked, since we were destined to be enemies anyway. But then I was down at the lake two or so months ago and..."

---

It was after 11:30. Lights were out and everyone was sleeping soundly. Except for one.

Albus crept upstairs to the seventh floor, careful not to get caught. He was completely in the dark, letting only the moon light his path so as not to upset the paintings. Albus arrived and saw Scorpius leaning against the wall in the hallway, out of sight. He hugged Scorpius and murmured, "Miss me?" Scorpius smiled and tenderly kissed Albus' cheek. "Of course." Scorpius caressed the back of the Gryffindor boy's head and kissed him on the lips. They made out for what seemed like a blissful eternity, twirling their tongues in sync, massaging each other's stomach, neck, and back. Then their shirts came off. Albus pulled down Scorpius' pants as Scorpius pulled down Albus'.

"I, er, brought a condom, and, er, some lube," Scorpius shyly whispered. Albus' eyes widened. "But only if you're ready," Scorpius added. Albus had wanted this for awhile now; he felt ready, but he had to confess something first. He held Scorpius' hands and whispered, "Um, I told Andrew about us. I'm really sorry; he kept getting on my case and was getting angry with me."

Scorpius bit his lip, not sure what to say. "Oh," was all that came out.

"I'm sorry," Albus softly said, praying that he didn't upset Scorpius.

Scorpius lightly rubbed Albus' hands and smiled. "It's okay. I can trust Andrew. But no one else can know."

Albus nodded in agreement, then kissed Scorpius. Scorpius pulled away and said, "But as long as we're confessing, um, Olivia sort of kissed me. She was getting angry with me, too. But I didn't enjoy it at all, and it was just like a quick peck."

Albus frowned and briefly looked away from Scorpius' intense stare. "I thought we agreed on no kissing."

"I know, I know. And I'm really sorry. But with this sex fiend, it's hard to keep her off of me. But I think I've come up with a plan that will keep her from trying to shag me for awhile."

Albus nodded. He wasn't upset, just confused. Suddenly, something that Andrew had said to him earlier popped in his head. "Scorpius, you aren't ashamed of me, are you?"

Scorpius placed his hands on Albus' hipbones, moving him closer to the Gryffindor, shaking his head. "Of course not!" Then he kissed Albus on the lips. "Albus, you are the best thing that's ever happened to me. I feel like more myself than I have with anyone. I could never be ashamed of you."

Albus, relieved and overjoyed, smiled and kissed the Slytherin back. Then he grabbed the lube and condom and sensually whispered in Scorpius' ear, "I want you inside of me." Scorpius kissed Albus, grinning, as he took his and Albus' boxers off.

* * *

**:) Aren't I mean for not going in detail? Maybe if you review, I will be more inclined to do so next time.**

**Will there be a next time? Is Scorpius telling Albus the truth? Will Andrew spill to Tilly? You'll just have to keep reading and waiting for more updates. :) Tell me your thoughts and you'll get a free copy of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Nicholas Flamel. tehe**


	10. Chapter 10

**Made you guys wait awhile, huh? Sorry about that..heh. Hopefully this chapter will be worth the wait though. :) And I think we're almost close to the end...probably five or so more chapters left.**

**Disclaimer: I own not the HP characters.**

**Warning: There is some foul content in this chapter.**

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Chapter 10

Scorpius and Albus, naked, were sleeping in each other's arms on the cold, hard floor, their clothes draped over their bodies as blankets. The sun was bright, its rays lighting up the whole hallway through the window. Scorpius opened his eyes, and after a minute of trying to figure out why he wasn't in his own bed, he shot up. "Shit!" He exclaimed. He turned to to Albus and shook him. "Al, Al, wake up!"

Albus groggily opened his eyes and yawned. He muttered something incomprehensible, then closed his eyes. Scorpius quickly put on his boxers and velvet green pajamas, then lightly kicked Albus. This kick jolted Albus awake. "What?" He snapped, cranky from being woken up. He was never a morning person. Then Al noticed the shining sun and his eyes widened. "What time is it?" He asked.

Scorpius glanced out the window and studied the sun for a moment. "Um, probably a little after six a.m."

Albus turned to Scorpius, then to the window. "How do you know that? There's no clock around."

"My mother taught me how to tell time by studying how high and how bright the sun is. My parents don't believe in clocks; says they're a muggle invention."

"Oh," Albus said as he started putting on his clothes. "Dammit, we're late for breakfast. And everyone's going to know that we're gone."

Scorpius shrugged, grabbed Albus by the waist, and lightly kissed his neck. "I had a great time last night."

Albus grinned, a warm buzz flooding throughout his body. "Me too," he whispered, "I'm glad you were my first." Scorpius kissed Albus on the lips, smiling. When they parted, Albus continued, "It was almost perfect, despite the lack of a bed."

Scorpius made little circles with his finger on Albus' arm. "I'll make next time more romantic. Maybe we could get away over winter break." This thought made Albus really happy; it had been a long time since Albus was this truly happy. "We'd better go." Albus said while kissing Scorpius. Scorpius groaned, but nodded.

With one last kiss, the two boys hurried to their common rooms. Albus quickly changed into his robes, brushed his teeth, and rushed to the Great Hall where everyone was finishing breakfast. He glanced at the Slytherin table and noticed that Scorpius hadn't arrived yet. As Albus approached the Gryffindor table, he saw his friends staring at him. "What?" He nonchalantly asked. "I slept in late."

Tilly had a smug look on her face that frightened Albus. "You never miss breakfast." Albus, taking a bite of a raisin bagel, worriedly glanced at Andrew, wondering if he had spilled about his relationship with Scorpius. Andrew, sensing what Albus was thinking, shook his head no. Then he pulled Albus out of the Great Hall, but not before Albus could grab his bagel; he was starving, after all.

"Hey, there's still five minutes left," Albus protested.

"Y - you slept with him, didn't you," Andrew timidly stated as he focused on the ground.

Albus smiled and nodded. But after noticing how uncomfortable Andrew looked, his smile disappeared. "Are you, er, okay with this?" He asked.

Andrew paused for a split second then sighed. "No, actually. I'm sorry Albus, but I just can't understand _why_ you would want to, you know. He's not a nice person."

Sighing, Albus defended Scorpius by saying, "Get to know him and you'll see that he's not foul. He's just, I don't know, confused. And prideful."

But Andrew remained unconvinced so Albus continued, "I - I love him." As soon as those words came out of his mouth, he believed them. Maybe _love _was too fast or too irrational, but he had never felt this way with anyone. He suddenly had a strong, vehement urge to express this feeling with Scorpius. Albus smiled, his face flushed. He added, "You don't have to like it, but please accept it." Those were the same words he had said to Andrew when he came out.

Andrew chewed on his lip. Kids were starting to file out of the Great Hall to head to their morning classes. Thirty seconds passed before Andrew softly and sincerely stated, "Okay."

---

It was 1:15, which meant double Advanced Potions, Albus' second-to-worst subject. Right now, Divination was in the lead with the worst and most boring subject. Albus always got in trouble for falling asleep in that class. Professor Trelawny was always disappointed in him since he didn't have the supposed outstanding potential his father had, according to her.

He, Rose, Andrew, and Tilly were all working on Truth Serum. Technically, everyone was supposed to work alone, but Rose and Tilly both took pity on the boys.

"Honestly, how did you two manage Os in Potions?" Rose asked, exasperated when Andrew tore the herbs instead of dicing them. "Luck?" Andrew said, grinning, glad that the girls were taking over.

Tilly and Albus were carefully putting Jobberknoll feathers in the cauldron when Tilly started asking Albus about why he wasn't at breakfast. This was the fourth time she'd asked today.

"Tilly, I've told you already, I slept in late."

"But where did you sleep?"

"That's such a stupid question. In my bed, of course." Albus lied.

Tilly persisted, "I know there's a guy involved. The look on your face screams 'I have a boyfriend.' You're so happy all the time. And I don't say that to insult you."

Albus just sighed, ignoring her. Then Tilly raised her hand. Once Professor Donovan arrived at their table, Tilly innocently asked, "Professor, do we have permission to use this potion? I mean, how else would we know it works?"

Professor Donovan raised an eyebrow, then said, "_I_ will know, Tilly. You may not use your Truth Serum on anyone, unless you want detention for a month and 50 house points taken away. And no partners. If Albus wants to be an auror like his precious father, he needs to learn at least one thing in that mindless brain of his." Then he walked away as Albus glared at him. From day one, Albus had never liked Professor Donovan, and vice versa. Donovan was a year younger than Albus' dad, and his dad had told stories about how he and Professor Donovan never got along.

Albus turned his attention away from Donovan and focused his attention back to Tilly. "You are not giving me a truth serum!"

Tilly just shrugged and said, "Worth a shot. You'll tell me one of these days, Potter."

He sighed and shook his head, then returned back to his work. Because of Tilly, he had to work alone for another hour and a half. It was going to be a long day, and all he could think about was the blond-headed Slytherin.

---

Andrew and Albus were walking outside on a chilly, December Saturday. The rest of the week had gone well. As the days passed, Andrew became more and more used to the idea of Albus and Scorpius' dating. And he had ceased all insults about the Slytherin. Tilly was still curious, but had temporarily dropped the subject. However, she and Rose were always seen whispering together and glancing at Albus whenever the three hung out. And more importantly, Scorpius and Albus had continued their nightly encounters. Things could not have been more perfect.

Anyway, Andrew and Albus had been animatedly chatting about the Quidditch match against Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Slytherin's team had crushed the Ravenclaws 210 - 70. It had been a brutal game.

"Al, I think you need to injure Mal - er, Scorpius. Or seduce him into letting us win."

Albus laughed. "Are you not confident that we'll win?"

Andrew shrugged and exclaimed, "It'll be close. And just because you're chummy with him doesn't mean you should go easy. If he's near the snitch, whack him with your stick!"

At this, Albus laughed even harder and winked. "Which one?" He insinuated. It took a few seconds before Andrew widened his eyes and grinned. He shoved Albus and exclaimed, "Not what I meant!"

Albus grinned, then spotted a familiar blonde boy walking towards him and Andrew. "Speaking of," he absently stated. As Scorpius approached the two Gryffindors, Albus felt a familar buzz tickle the whole of his body. Andrew gave a friendly nod.

"Hey," Scorpius breathed, his hair damp from having taken a shower.

"Nice match, Scorp. But we're going to crush you next week!" Albus said, still grinning.

Scorpius laughed aloud and retorted, "Fat chance! Slytherin is wicked good this year. Besides, I've seen you guys practice and I'm not impressed."

Albus' eyes widened as he tried to think whether Scorpius was at a practice or not, but he couldn't recall a time. "Really? I've never seen you at our practices before."

"I'm just that good of a spy," Scorpius smirked, moving closer to Albus. He whispered, "I follow you everywhere."

Albus nervously smiled, that ever-present feeling surging through his groins. He instinctively moved closer to Scorpius. They were nose-to-nose, a sexual tension in the air. Meanwhile, Andrew cleared his throat and uncomfortably said, "Er, I'll catch up with you later, Al."

Albus tore his eyes away and briefly glanced at Andrew before returning all his attention back on Scorpius. "Okay, bye."

Once Andrew was out of sight, Scorpius grabbed Albus' hand and brought him to a more secluded place which was in between two oak trees. Unable to stand the sexual tension any longer, the two boys leaned against a tree and started to make-out. They moved their tongues in sync, forming patterns in each other's mouths. Scorpius held on to the back of Albus' neck and pulled him tighter as Albus' hands caressed Scorpius' back. Then Albus pulled back and softly said, "Scorpius, I hope you don't get freaked out, but I have to say this. Scorpius, I lo - "

Suddenly, a voice bewilderedly shouted out Scorpius' name, interrupting what Albus was going to say and breaking both boys apart. This voice would change things forever.

"Scorpius?! What the hell?"

Scorpius shot back immediately from Albus, a panicked look upon his face. He had never thought, yet had always feared, that this day would come. Not a millisecond had passed when Scorpius, in one fluid motion, pulled out his wand, pointed it at Albus, and shouted, "_Everte Statum!" _Albus flew back and slammed into a nearby tree. "You fucking poof! You kissed me! This fag attacked me then tried to jam his tongue down my throat!"

"Eugh, that is sick. You're messed-up, Potter. And you're going to be even more messed-up when we're done with you," said the voice, which belonged to Brock Dolohov. Jay Goyle was right behind him. People started gathering around, curious about the sudden commotion.

Stunned, confused, and hurt, Albus slowly got up. He glanced at all the people around him. A few of them were calling him a pervert and a faggot. Then Brock shot a spell at him and he flew backwards again. And a realization hit him. _Scorpius...he betrayed me. _Suddenly, Albus felt a rush of such rage that he didn't think was possible to feel. He got up again and tightly clutched his wand. Albus opened his mouth, but no words came out because he was so enraged, so pissed, so incredibly _hurt_. So Albus did the only thing he could think of. He walked up to Scorpius and punched him so hard that it knocked the Slytherin to the ground. Then he kicked Scorpius in the nose. "I didn't fucking attack you. You kissed me back! Are you so scared that you're willing to lose me forever?"

Brock and Jay rushed over to Albus to hold him back, but Scorpius held up a hand to stop them. He slowly got up and wiped some of the blood that was dribbling down his chin. A hardened expression was on his face, yet his eyes pleaded 'please, forgive me.' And he couldn't look Albus in the eye. "You're a creepy pervert. Why would I ever want to kiss you? Helloooo, I'm straight, you lunatic!" Then Scorpius punched Albus in the face. So Albus ran into Scorpius and knocked him down and started hitting him. Then Brock and Jay ran over to Albus and tried to pull him off of Scorpius.

Albus glared at Scorpius, tears stinging his eyes. It took all he had not to let those tears fall. Instead, he shook off Brock and Jay then shouted, "_Alarte Ascendare_" at Scorpius, causing the Slytherin to fly high in the air. Brock punched Albus in the mouth, and Albus punched him back.

Having heard what was happening, Andrew rushed to the oak trees and pushed through the crowd. He rushed to Albus' side and put a protective arm over him. Andrew looked at Albus, who was a bloody and torn mess, and stated, "You fucking bastard." Then the two Gryffindors left the crowd and headed to the castle with the laughter and insults still ringing in Albus' ears. And finally, Albus' tears betrayed him and spilled down his bruised and bloody cheeks.

* * *

**:( Poor Albus.**

**R&R please, and you'll get Albus sympathy cookies.**


	11. Chapter 11

**I hope to get the next chapter up before finals and AP/IB exams come up in May. Ugh, one more month and then I'm graduating. :p Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I own not the HP characters, just my OCs**

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Chapter 11

Albus sat in the Hospital Wing with Andrew and Rose. Ms. Pomfrey was cleaning his cuts and checking to see if any bones were fractured. "You know, I should report this fight to the Headmaster," she said. Albus just shrugged apathetically. He'd rather be expelled so that he wouldn't have to face anymore humiliation.

Rose squeezed Albus' hand and whispered, "Everything will be okay." Tears brimmed his eyes. All he wanted to do was bury his head under the pillow and stay there forever.

The door opened and in walked Scorpius, Dolohov, Goyle, and Olivia. Scorpius was caressing his limp left arm with his right hand while Olivia's arm was around his waist. Albus quickly averted his eyes. Then Goyle loudly exclaimed, "This should be a fag-free school. Go back to St. Mungo's, Potter!" Albus felt as though a million daggers stabbed his heart. As Ms. Pomfrey scolded Goyle and shooed him out of the room, Albus got up from the bed and ran out of the Hospital Wing as fast as he could until he reached his bed. He flopped onto it and silently cried himself to sleep.

_How could I have been so stupid? I trusted him and he humiliated me in front of everyone._

---

After Scorpius' broken arm was healed, he was free to go. Olivia had stayed by his side the whole time, rambling about how she was going to get Albus expelled for sexual harassment. Scorpius sighed, feeling dejected and depressed, as he and Olivia walked to the common room._ How did I get so messed-up? What'd did I do?_ He kept repeating in his head. He hated himself for being so selfish, so weak. Scorpius wanted to scream, or at least make things right and tell everyone he was gay. But he knew he couldn't.

As the two Slytherins reached the dungeons, Scorpius put on an aloof and hardened facade, though he was dying a little inside. Some fifth-year girl came up to Scorpius and declared, "Hey, we'll start a petition to kick Potter out. He won't get away this."

Scorpius inhaled deeply so as not to break down and cry. _Malfoy's never cry,_ he told himself. He had to stop this somehow. He inhaled again and then projected, "Look everyone, no petitions, nothing. Just leave Al - er, Potter alone."

"I bet you enjoyed that kiss, Malfoy," sneered seventh-year Marcus Flint II.

Another chimed in, "Don't get all poof on us."

Scorpius felt uneasy. He inhaled again, trying to regain his confidence. "No, it's not that," Scorpius started to say, "it's just that it's my damn business and I'll handle it however and whenever I feel like it. So bug off, all of you." Then, glaring, he turned away and walked to his room. Scorpius flopped onto his bed, unable to control his emotions any longer.

_Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry, _he willed silently in his his head.

---

The next day after lunch, Tilly, James, Lily, Blake, Rose, and Cody met up with Albus and Andrew near the lake. Albus needed to tell his friends exactly what happened between him and Scorpius.

Naturally, Tilly spoke first. "Please, please tell me you didn't try to attack Malfoy with your tongue." Everyone looked at him expectantly, having thought the same thing.

Albus sighed and inhaled deeply before spilling out his secrets. "I did kiss him, but only because - because," he paused a second and prepared himself for everyone to freak out. "Scorpius and I am - or were - dating for, er, about two months now." Albus stopped momentarily, letting his words sink in. His friends immediately started asking, "Why?" and "Are you off your rocker?" and "Don't you hate him?"

He raised his voice to talk over the sudden commotion. "I thought he was different. And he was. Underneath that jerk facade, Scorpius was actually a charming person. And I thought he genuinely liked me too." Albus got choked up and could only whisper, "But apparently not."

The girls moved closer to Albus and hugged him. Then Tilly absently remarked, "Scorpius Malfoy. Who'd have thought."

James, who had been unusually quiet this whole time, spoke up. "Albus, I don't mean to make you feel stupid or make you mad, but don't you think he only got with you to humiliate you? He's an arse, Al."

Albus sighed, feeling dejected and depressed. "I don't know what to think anymore."

"Want me to beat him up for you?" James offered. Blake chimed in, "Yeah, that bastard's going down!"

"Yeah, he can't get away this, Albus. You need to get revenge," Lily said.

Albus focused on the grass and muttered, "Thanks guys, but I'd rather just forget this ever happened. I can't believe I was so stupid."

"We'll help you through this, Al. It'll blow over soon," Cody remarked, usually the silent listener.

"Yeah," agreed Tilly. "Besides, you're too good for this Malfoy git."

Albus half-heartedly smiled at his friends' support. He only wished he could believe them.

---

Around 7, when everyone was eating dinner in the Great Hall, Albus, not feeling up to eating, sought out the library. He, still mortified and heartbroken, just wanted to be alone. Unfortunately, the fates never favored him because the first person he saw when he walked in was Scorpius Malfoy. The Slytherin was sitting in an oversize, leather armchair, staring off into space.

"Great, just my luck," Albus mumbled. Having heard something, Scorpius looked over towards the entrance and spotted Albus. He gave a disgustingly kind and apologetic smile. "Uh, hey, deja vu, with us meeting in the library," he joked.

Albus' eyes started watering so he quickly turned around, about to leave. _Dammit, why do I keep crying all the time? _Al silently scolded himself. Scorpius ran over to Albus and turned him around. "Sorry, bad joke. Please don't leave. I need to talk to you."

Albus took in a deep breath and focused hard on the brick wall, trying to rid of his tears. Coldly, he stated, "I think you said enough yesterday." Nonetheless, he followed Scorpius to the Divination aisle if only to get closure.

Scorpius sat on the edge of table, his expression disheartened. "Albus, I screwed up. And I am so sorry. I never wanted this to happen. But you have to know, I'm just not ready yet."

Albus focused on the books, still unable to look at Scorpius. He hated this Slytherin with all of his heart. And he hated himself for letting Scorpius into his life. Slowly, Albus started to say, "You humiliated me. Do you know what people are calling me? I'm the one taking the brunt of this, and it isn't fair."

Scorpius put his head in his hands and sighed. "I know. I'm really sorry. I wish I could take it all back. Look, I'll make it up to you." He stated in one big rush.

Albus slowly turned his head to face Scorpius. "Tell everyone that we're dating," he declared.

Scorpius lifted his head. "Albus, I can't. My parents, even my friends, would kill me. You don't understand."

"Are you kidding me?" Albus shout-whispered. "Scorpius, I've been there, feeling afraid and alone. Hell, I'm still going through it, trying to deal with all the insults and the disgusted looks. But at least we could go brave it together."

Scorpius' face contorted into a look of desperation. He looked broken down. It took a whole minute for him to whisper, "I can't." Albus' heart sank. _This is it. We're over._ "Then I can't forgive you."

"Albus, please," Scorpius pleaded. "I've never begged before in my life, but I am now. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Albus' heart panged even more with hearbreak and hatred. He inhaled, mustering up some courage to speak. "I find that hard to believe," Albus said curtly, "because if I were that special to you, you wouldn't have thrown me to werewolves. You're a selfish, self-conscious git, _Malfoy,_ and you need to get over yourself_._" Scorpius opened his mouth to defend himself but Albus cut him off. "Don't ever speak to me again." And with that, Albus briskly walked out of the library and hurried to his room to lay down, cry, and sleep some more. Scorpius, meanwhile, sank down, depressed. And for the first time, he truly despised every fiber of his being.


	12. Chapter 12

**Ho hum, we're almost done (and that sortof rhymed?) But wow, this story is taking me the whole course of my senior year...and it'll probably be my first story that I've finished haha...how sad is that! Anyway, just a few more chapters to go. :( Another sadness is that you'll probably have to wait a month for the next chapter. Sorry! Exams must take precedence, grr.**

**Disclaimer: I own not the HP characters**

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Chapter 12

For the next week, Albus and Scorpius tried to avoid each other like the plague. Everyday, Albus would go to class then go to his chamber to work on homework and study for the quickly approaching exams. His friends tried to cheer him up, but nothing worked. And he knew that he was being ridiculous and difficult but he couldn't stop feeling so depressed. He didn't even have an appetite anymore, which was unusual because Albus could eat three pies and a turkey in one sitting if he wanted.

To make matters worse, Albus had to watch Scorpius and Olivia hold hands and cuddle during class. They were always together now, which was why Albus mainly stayed in the common room. The only satisfaction in seeing those two together was that Scorpius always looked as depressed as Al felt.

And now, today was Saturday, which meant it was the last Quidditch game before winter break. Slytherin vs. Gryffindor.

Albus grudgingly got dressed in his Quidditch uniform and skulked into the Great Hall. He sat down at the Gryffindor table with his friends and looked at the plate in front of him. It was his favorite breakfast: sausage-and-cheese scrambled eggs with hashbrowns, but Albus couldn't eat. He pushed the plate away, disgusted by the smell.

James, who was sitting across from Albus, pushed the plate back toward his little brother. "You need to eat or else you'll have no strength or energy to play today," he demanded.

"I'm not hungry," Albus weakly protested, putting his head down on the table.

"Al, I'm serious. You need to eat." James said with a stern look upon his face. "If we beat Slytherin today, we have a good chance at winning the Quidditch cup. And as captain, I want to win it. So forget all that has happened for a couple of hours and kick some Slytherin arse."

"I just want to lie down. I don't feel well," Albus said, his voice muffled from the table.

Andrew placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and pleaded, "Mate, c'mon, you have to think about the team."

Albus sighed. He knew he was being selfish and he hated disappointing his friends. So he lifted his head and started to eat the eggs and hashbrowns. As he felt his stomach ravenously grumble in pleasure, Al thought, _At least I can get revenge on those ignorant Slytherins. _It made him feel better thinking about hitting bludgers at the Slytherin team.

Meanwhile, over at the Slytherin table, Scorpius was trying to shove Olivia's hands off his thigh as he tried to eat breakfast. "You're distracting me," he absently remarked after swallowing a piece of toast. Olivia pouted, but kept her hands to herself, still blissfully gossiping about Merlin knows who.

Suddenly, Dolohov exclaimed, "Holy shit! Scorpius, have you seen the Daily Prophet yet?"

Scorpius, who was thinking about Albus and how guilty he felt for being with Olivia, took a moment before realizing that he was being spoken to. Dolohov threw the newspaper at him. Confused, Scorpius took it and glanced down at the front page. In big, bold letters, the headline read: **DRACO MALFOY IS SENTENCED TO AZKABAN PRISON. **There was a picture of his father, who looked badly beaten up, in handcuffs.

Scorpius felt as if a dementor had given him the kiss, then petrified him. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe. His heart sank lower than he thought was possible. Scorpius read the first lines of the article: _Draco Malfoy was found guilty of stealing 500,000 galleons from his world-renowned business, Malfoy Potions Enterprise._ In a daze, he turned the paper over, then looked at it again, hoping he had been hallucinating. But the article was still there; his father's bruised face was still there.

Scorpius vaguely felt Olivia's consoling him. Then he vaguely heard his friends saying it was time for the Quidditch match. He waited a few minutes for everyone to clear out of the Great Hall before standing up to head to the fields. And as he absently walked, one small tear escaped from his eyes.

---

As soon as Madame Hooch threw the Quaffle in the air, the game began. Albus, who definitely felt as though he was going to pass out, tried to focus and stay on his broom. Scorpius, still in a trance, flew up higher than everyone else. But he wasn't watching the game. Instead, he was thinking about his father, Azkaban, his mother, and Albus. More tears rebelliously streamed down his cheeks, but Scorpius didn't wipe them away. He was the only person in the universe below the clouds. No one was here to judge him; it was safe.

But beneath him, the game was getting pretty brutal. The game kept tying and the players got more aggressive. But Albus couldn't concentrate either. All he could do was focus on the blond Slytherin seeker. Part of Al wanted to throw a bludger at his head and knock him unconscious, but another part wanted to console him. Albus had heard about Scorpius' father going to Azkaban, and as much as he hated to admit, he felt sorry for Scorpius - but only a tiny speck.

Then Albus heard Roxanne Weasley shout at him to get angry and to focus. _Get angry? _And then something fired up inside of him. He focused all of his rage that had been bottled up for the last couple of weeks on his competitors. He leaned forward and flew to catch a bludger. Then he launched one at a Slytherin chaser, which caused the chaser to drop the Quaffle. Albus grinned, feeling a little more alive.

Suddenly, James flew past like lightning to the other side of the field, which meant that he must have seen the snitch. Scorpius saw a blur, then a flicker of gold by the Hufflepuff stands. _Shit, I should probably try to catch that, _Scorpius thought somewhat apathetically. He sighed and raced toward James to do something right for a change.

He was directly behind James and was about to pass him, but it was too late. James had caught the snitch. Gryffindors won 280-170. Scorpius cursed himself. _Yet another disappointment to add to the wall of shame_, he thought as all the Gryffindors ran onto the field to congratulate their team. Scorpius joined his disheartened team and faced the angry remarks of, "Where was your head?" and "We never lose!"

---

The next morning at breakfast, Scorpius' mom's owl arrived at his table with a letter attached to its leg. Scorpius took the letter and fed the owl some bread as he pocketed the letter. He figured it was about his father and decided to read it when he was alone. Everyone had found out by now that Draco Malfoy was being sent to prison, and everyone kept staring at him and whispering. One guy, a Gryffindor, had the audacity to sneer, "It's about time that murderer is sent to Azkaban." If Professor McGonagall had not been nearby, Draco would have hexed the ignorant git.

Once he entered his chamber and saw that he was alone, he hesitantly opened the letter. It read:

_Dear Scorpius,_

_I'm sure you have already read the papers about your father's going to Azkaban. I regret to inform you that it's true. Your father couldn't pay the three men back - these men who are the actual thieves - so they threatened him with taking his and my life unless he pleaded guilty. Unfortunately, these men have a significant influence over the Ministry thus being able to get away with this. And while I admire your father's act of heroism, he has been incredibly stupid, and now we're left with nothing and he must spend five years in prison._

_Our house and all of our possessions have been repossessed, but even that isn't enough to pay back the debt. Oh, and MPE has gone bankrupt. So I've been staying with my mother. I would like it if you stayed with me over the holidays but I understand if you'd rather stay with a friend or at Hogwarts._

_Scorpius, I know things are tough right now, but please do not let your father's rash mistakes affect your studies. You are still expected to do exceptionally well on all of your exams. We will fix this._

_With love,_

_your Mother_

Scorpius folded the letter, laid down on the bed, and stared up at the ceiling. "When did life get so complicated?" He asked himself. He couldn't even fathom the idea of losing everything. But it was happening - had already happened. He wished he could escape it all and lie in Albus' arms forever, but that wasn't realistic. Scorpius knew that he needed to be with his mother and help her through this. His mother came from a wealthier family than the Malfoys so Scorpius knew that this had to be unbelievably difficult for her. He grabbed some parchment and wrote his reply that said he'd be staying with her for winter break, then hurried to the Owlery.

As he was walking to the towers, he spotted Albus. Scorpius took a deep breath, feeling that pang he felt whenever he saw or thought about Albus now. He needed to talk to the Gryffindor, to be comforted, to be told that everything was going to be okay. And with that desire, Scorpius called out, "Albus!" He hurried toward the brunette and said in one desperate breath, "Please don't run off because I need to talk to you really badly about my father and I have no one else to talk to!"

James, who was beside Albus and hand-in-hand with some Ravenclaw girl, jeered, "Bug off, Malfoy."

"This is important. Please, Albus," Scorpius begged. But Albus just shook his head and briskly walked away.

Then James got in Scorpius' face and menacingly threatened, "If I see you try to talk to my brother again, I will beat you up so badly that you'll wish you were in Azkaban with your bloody father." Then he stalked away with the Ravenclaw in tow.

Scorpius, his heart still in pieces, slowly headed to the Owlery. He just wanted to go home away from this place.

* * *

**R&R :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**I'm sorry that this took much longer than I had expected. This is an important chapter and I wanted to get everything perfect before I uploaded it. I really hope you enjoy it. There will be one more chapter after this. !**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the aforementioned HP characters.**

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Chapter 13

The next week flew by with midterms taking up everyone's time and soon it was the end of first term. Albus felt pretty good about his exams, all things considering. But Scorpius had had trouble concentrating; his mind had been elsewhere. He was just anxious to get home to his mother.

As Scorpius finished packing, he heard a knock on the door. He turned and in walked Olivia. Scorpius blankly stared at her for a moment then went back to folding his robes.

"You know, there's an easier way to packing, hon. We're not muggles." Olivia said as she hugged Scorpius and kissed his neck. He just sat there, numb.

"Olivia, I'm not really in the best mood," he vacantly stated. Olivia squeezed his waist harder, then placed her hands underneath his shirt and moved them down to the inside of his pants. Scorpius shivered in disgust. He couldn't do this anymore. There was only one person that Scorpius wanted to touch him, and that person probably never would anymore thanks to him.

Scorpius stood up and took Olivia's eager hands out of his pants. "I can't do this. We're over."

Olivia stood there, stunned. Scorpius watched her face go from confusion to realization and then to anger. "Excuse me?" She demanded, placing her hands on her hips.

"You heard me. I only dated you for my father's sake, and since he's in Azkaban, it's not necessary to date you anymore. So, we're over."

Olivia's eyes widened in shock and there was a hint of hurt. But she quickly covered up the hurt in her eyes and smacked Scorpius in the face. As she stalked away, she said, "Your loss."

Scorpius sighed as he grabbed his luggage. He waited a couple minutes, put on a dead-panned expression, and walked out of the Slytherin chambers.

* * *

The train ride was uneventful for both Albus and Scorpius, and before they knew it, the Hogwarts Express pulled onto Platform 9 3/4. Albus, who had barely uttered a word the whole train ride, slowly got off with his friends. He absently followed James and Lily to his parents who were waiting for them with smiles. His parents immediately noticed something different about Albus - he seemed upset - but they decided to ask him about it at home. As Albus walked a few paces behind his family, he caught a glance of Scorpius, who was with his mother. Scorpius caught Albus' eye and the two boys stared longingly, yet despondently at each other. Albus finally tore his eyes away and cursed himself for still allowing the blond Slytherin to have an effect on him. Albus hurried to catch up with his family, wanting to leave this place and Scorpius' intense silver-eyed stare.

For the next couple of days, Albus spent most of his time in his room. He only came out for dinner or when James, irritated that his younger brother was still moping about some twat, dragged him downstairs; but Albus preferred to sulk alone in his room. Finally, Harry was able to have a heart-to-heart with his son one night.

Harry knocked on Albus' door and asked, "Hey, may I come in?" Albus, who was lying on his bed performing little charm spells, waved his wand and opened the door. Harry walked in and sat in a chair next to Albus' bed. He watched the charms for a few moments, thinking of how to begin, then concernedly asked, "What's going on, Al?"

Albus discontinued the spell and looked at his Dad. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"You've barely said a word since you came home and you've been holed up in your room. Did something happen at school?"

Albus looked away and focused his gaze on the ceiling, a frown appearing upon his face. "Nothing happened. I'm fine." He muttered.

Harry placed a strong hand on his son's shoulder. "Albus, you're worrying your mother and me." Then he got a thoughtful look on his face and softly added, "Does this have to do with a boy?"

Albus quickly shot up and protested, "What? No!" He saw the smile on his Dad's face and sighed, worried that his Dad knew about Scorpius. "Did Lily tell you?" He said dejectedly.

"So you are upset over a boy," Harry stated, amused that he had guessed right.

Albus frowned and lied back down. "It doesn't matter now. He's ashamed of me." Albus' heart ached at the thought of Scorpius and that devasting day when they fought.

"You really liked him, didn't you?" Harry pensively observed.

Albus glanced back at his Dad and shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. I just can't seem to move on."

"Maybe you shouldn't try to let go so easily. If he made you happy and means this much to you, fight for him." Harry gave his son a light squeeze on the arm and stood up. "Night, Al. I love you." And then he closed the door behind him. Albus contemplatively stared after his father, wishing it were easier said than done.

* * *

Scorpius arrived with his mother at his grandparents' house. Their house was slightly bigger and more grandeur than the Malfoy Mansion.

His grandmother came out of the house and embraced him. "Oh, I've missed you so much! _Someone_ never lets us visit you in the summer." She said, obviously referring to the someone as Astoria.

Astoria frowned and sighed. "It's not my fault if you two are always taking trips out of the country." She grabbed Scorpius' luggage and the three went inside.

"You can stay in the guest room upstairs two doors on your left, Scorpius. I'm making lamb stew, your favorite." She said as she walked in the kitchen.

Scorpius figured that it would be pointless to tell her he hadn't eaten lamb stew since he was eleven. Instead, he politely thanked his grandmother and headed up the stairs with his mother. As they reached the guest room, Astoria sat down on the bed and smiled wearily at him.

"How has school been?"

"It's been great," he partially lied. The majority of school had in fact been great; only recently had it been anything but.

Astoria nodded and softly said, "Good." She had a look in her eye that made Scorpius ask, "How are you dealing with everything, Mother?"

"Oh, there are good days and bad days. I miss your father terribly, but I'm also angry with him." Astoria sighed again, then put on a cheery facade and added, "We'll just have to do the best we can, me and you, for awhile."

Scorpius nodded and replied, "I'll be here for you." He felt sad for his mother and hated that his father was doing this to her, to his whole family. The past couple of months had just been one huge nightmare from which he couldn't wake up.

Astoria kissed her son's forehead, then walked downstairs to let him rest before dinner.

The next morning, Scorpius woke to sounds of people's arguing. Scorpius groggily opened his eyes and cursed the loud noises which woke him up. He grungily got out of bed and began to walk downstairs.

Downstairs, Astoria and her mother were arguing.

"You never should have married him! Not only has he slandered the Malfoy name, he gave a bad reputation to the Greengrass name as well. And now he's in Azkaban." Her mother shouted.

Astoria raised her voice and angrily retorted, "He was framed, Mother! Maybe you should stop reading Rita Skeeter's lies who is a stone-cold, bumbling idiot and realize that there are bad men in the world who still hold a grudge against what Draco did as a child!" In a huff, Astoria stormed outside.

Scorpius debated whether he should stay out of their arguement or comfort his mother. Out of pity, he exasperatedly followed after his mother. He found her sitting on the porch and joined her, putting his arm around his mother's shoulders.

Astoria let her tears silenty fall as she rested her head on her son's shoulder. "Sorry you had to hear that, Scorpius. Mum and I don't exactly get along."

Scorpius rubbed his mom's back and glanced out at the dead forest in front of him. This would be a long winter break.

Astoria remained quiet for a minutes before softly saying, "I hope you don't blame your father."

Scorpius frowned, wondering how he would answer that question. Of course he blamed his father. For raising him to be wary of how others perceived him, for forcing him to date Olivia, for leaving his mother in distress, for giving this persona to Malfoys that they have to be strong and more superior than everyone else. But Scorpius took the polite route and murmered, "It's just a bad sitauation."

"I'm sorry that you're being put through this. I mean, I get weird looks around town so I can only imagine how your peers are reacting at school," Astoria pondered, turning to him.

Scorpius stared into his mother's eyes and, after a couple of moments, mustered up the courage to ask, "Why should it matter what others think of us?"

Astoria blinked a couple of times, taken aback by his question. "Because we're purebloods, like royalty. Automatically, we are held at a higher standard than everyone else; we're constantly scrutinized."

Scorpius scoffed. "That's ridiculous."

Astoria widened her eyes and scolded him. "It isn't ridiculous, Scorpius. We can't help which blood status we're born into. But consider yourself lucky."

That statement struck a chord inside him. _She's right, I can't help the cards that I've been dealt. And I can't be afraid anymore. _All the shame he had felt about liking Albus the past few months came flooding back to him. He had been such a prick. This was the first time Scorpius wanted to take that fateful day back; to tell his friends he was with Albus, that he loved Albus. _I love Albus Potter._ Scorpius broke out in a huge grin and a wave of joy coursed through his body. Scorpius finally knew what he had to do to make things right. He just hoped he wasn't too late.

Scorpius stared back into his mother's eyes and drew in a big breath. "Mother, I need to tell you something. But please don't freak out, okay?"

Astoria furrowed her brow and asked, "What is it?"

Scorpius drew in another breath, waited a few moments, then finally said the words that had been gnawing at him for quite some time now. "I'm-I'm gay."

Astoria was speechless for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, in a quiet voice, she said, "That is not funny, Scorpius."

Scorpius felt as if he had been stabbed in the heart. But he had to do this. "Mother, I'm not joking."

Her face growing redder and redder from shame and anger, Astoria bellowed, "Did your grandfather put you up to this? Did he think this would be some great prank to upset me even more?"

Scorpius downcasted his tearful eyes. "I know this isn't the most opportune moment to tell you, but I couldn't hold it in any longer."

"No son of mine, no _Malfoy_ is gay."

"No _Malfoy?_ Do you listen to yourself? No one cares about us and every little thing we do. And I'm not going to hide myself any longer because I have to keep up this stereotype about us. I've done it once and it hurt someone I care a lot about." Scorpius stood up and challenged his mother.

Astoria stood up as well and turned toward the door.

"I need your support on this. Please."

Astoria turned, her eyes full of tears, but then turned away. "I need to be alone." And with that, she walked inside the house.

Scorpius sat down on the porch and sighed. He knew his mother would react like that. But he didn't feel as dejected as he thought he would, just disappointed. Then Scorpius ran around back to get his broom. He had to make things right to the one person whom he loved more than anything. He mounted it and flew away, hoping to find a certain brunette.

* * *

Meanwhile, Albus Potter had walked to the park a few miles away to get some fresh air. He felt too confined at home; everyone kept asking him what was wrong and if he were okay. He was starting to go mad. He just wanted to be over Scorpius, to move on from one terrible mistake. After all, it was only a prank; a ploy to upset him even more. Albus was almost positive that Scorpius had only pretended to like him so that Scorpius could make him even more miserable. But then Albus thought about the night they had sex and the times Scorpius had been open with him, reached out to him. Those memories were keeping Albus from cutting all emotional ties from the Slytherin. He couldn't let go.

* * *

After a few wrong turns, Scorpius finally reached the Potter house. He dismounted his broom and hesitantly walked to the front door, expecting the worst. But he was determined. Running the speech in his head one last time, Scorpius knocked on the door. He really hoped that Albus or his parents would open the door; unfortunately, it was James. James opened the door, took one look at Scorpius, and slammed it in his face.

Scorpius knocked on the door again. "James, please let me in. I need to see Albus!"

A few seconds went by, and then the door was opened again. James glared at Scorpius. "No, you need to quickly return home before I kick your arse."

Ignoring the red-head's comment, Scorpius asked, "Is Albus here?"

"No," James curtly stated. He started to close the door but Scorpius quickly stuck his arm in the doorway.

"I made a huge mistake and I've regretted it ever since. I'm sorry I hurt your brother and I'm probably the last person you or he wants to see right now, but I have to talk to him. Please let me talk to him, James."

Before James could say anything, a voice from inside asked, "Who is it, James?"

James continued to glare at Scorpius and said, "Nobody. He was just leaving."

Then a tall brunette appeared at the door, whom Scorpius instantly recognized as Harry Potter. Harry glanced down at Scorpius and frowned. "Er, Scorpius Malfoy?" He curiously asked.

"Yes sir," Scorpius politely answered. "May I see Albus? It's urgent."

Harry questioningly looked from James to Scorpius and then to James again. Then he said, "He's out right now. Would you like to come inside and wait for him?"

Scorpius nodded and followed Albus' dad inside, ignoring the burning stare from James.

"What is it you need to tell him?" Harry questioned, wondering why his son's nemesis was at his doorstep.

Scorpius glanced at his feet, suddenly feeling awkward. He wondered if this were such a good idea after all.

Then James coldly said, "Dad, he shouldn't be here. Albus doesn't want him here."

Scorpius peered at James and frowned. Then, like word vomit, he blurted, "I'm in love with Albus and I need to tell him before it's too late."

James' eyes widened in disbelief and Harry coughed in shock. _Scorpius is the last person I thought Albus would like, _Harry thought. "Er, come again?" Harry asked once he caught his breath.

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. And I did something terrible to him last month which is why I have to find him and make things right." Scorpius said in one big rush. He was surprised at himself for telling even more people his true feelings. He never usually opened up to people, but he was desperate.

Harry blinked a couple of times, then started to smile. "He's at the park."

"Dad!" James protested.

Scorpius smiled and thanked Harry. Then he ran outside, mounted his broom, and sped off for Albus.

It took only a few minutes to find the Gryffindor on the swings. He dismounted and ran to Albus. "Al! Al!" He called out.

Albus looked up, wondering who had called his name. Then he saw a familiar face and scowled. "What the hell are you doing here, Scorpius?"

"I need to talk to you. Please just listen."

"You've already explained yourself. Stop trying. I'm over you."

"That's a lie," Scorpius firmly stated. "I know you have been as miserable as I this past month. I have lost everything, Albus; my father, you, and now my mother. I have nothing else to lose." Albus stood there, staring at Scorpius and waiting for him to continue, so he did. "I told her I was gay."

Albus' forehead creased into a frown, wondering if he should believe Scorpius or not. "Really? What did she say?"

Scorpius softly answered, "She accused me of pranking her. Then she got angry when I told her I wasn't kidding." He thoughtfully stared into Albus' eyes and took his hands. "I've realized that it's pointless to care about how others perceive me, especially when I don't care about them. I only care about you." He got closer to Albus, who had gone stiff with shock and hope. He sincerely added, "I love you, Albus. So much. Since last year when I saw you reading on the lawn and you looked so stunning, I couldn't get you out of my mind. And I tried so hard to crush my feelings for you. But I don't want to hide anymore."

Albus couldn't believe his ears; he couldn't believe that Scorpius, the unemotional prick was professing his love for him. Albus felt his heart swell with such joy and excitement that he impulsively kissed Scorpius. Scorpius kissed Albus back, overjoyed to feel Albus' sweet taste again. He stuck his tongue inside of Albus' mouth and the two tongues danced with each other. Finally, Albus pulled away and softly stated, "I love you, Scorpius Malfoy."

Scorpius smiled and kissed his cheek. "I promise I will never hurt you again."

Albus pulled away and asked, "Even when we return to Hogwarts and your friends start to mock you?"

Scorpius stared into his big green eyes and nodded, "As long as I have you and you're happy, I'll be fine."

Albus grinned and kissed Scorpius' neck. Feeling happier than he had in awhile, Scorpius grabbed Albus' waist and hugged him tightly. Everything was right again.

* * *

**Tell me what you think! Did you like it? Hate it? Scream and cry?**


	14. Chapter 14

**Wow, this chapter should not have taken me as long as it has. I guess I just didn't want it to end, but it needed to end. I'm very proud of this story; it's the first one that I've finished beginning to end! Woohoo! :D And I've started another Albus/Scorpius fic called Solace. It's a bit different from this one but it still has all the angst and romance everyone loves up. Anyway, thanks to everyone who has stuck with me and this story. I am very grateful to all of my readers and fans and reviews; you all kept me going! So thanks a bajillion!**

**Disclaimer: I own not the HP characters. JK Rowling does. That's why she's rich and I'm not. ;)**

* * *

Chapter 14

After of couple hours of making out and chatting, the two sixth-years finally made their way back to the Potter home, having realized that it was getting dark. Hands intertwined, Albus opened the door and walked inside to find his parents, Lily, and James all waiting impatiently in the living room. "Um, hey," Albus hesitantly said, wondering if he were in trouble. "What are you guys doing?"

James was the first to speak. Angry, he stood up and scoffed. "I can't believe you went back to that prick!"

"Language, James," Ginny scolded him. James crossed his arms and glared at Scorpius. Scorpius was rather intimidated by Albus' family staring at him; the sight was unnerving.

But Albus wasn't deterred. He simply said, "Scorpius apologized and I forgave him." Glancing at his mother, he asked, "May Scorpius stay over for dinner?" Ginny nodded, smiling. He turned back to Scorpius and quietly asked, "Are you okay here?"

Scorpius nodded to Albus, giving his new boyfriend a smile. Boyfriend. That word sounded foreign to him but it was nice. He liked thinking of Albus as his boyfriend. "I'm great, thanks."

After a mildly awkward (thanks to the burning glares from James and Lily) dinner, Scorpius figured that he had dawdled enough from going back home. Outside, broom in hand, he kissed Albus on the mouth. "Thank you, Albus. For everything."

Albus smiled at Scorpius, feeling much happier than he had felt in a long time. He couldn't believe that he and Scorpius were kissing together and that they were actually an item. And yet, it all felt so natural to him. He just worried about how Scorpius would do at Hogwarts. "Are you sure you don't want to stay here?" Albus figured that Scorpius' mum would be pretty upset by now.

But Scorpius had to face her and his grandparents. He reluctantly nodded and said, "I'll see you tomorrow, Albus." With one final kiss, he mounted his broom and flew back home.

Once home, Scorpius hesitantly walked inside. His grandparents were nowhere to be found; they probably had a dinner party to attend. He walked upstairs and saw his mum's door left ajar. He walked inside and his mum was lying on her bed, tears staining her face. "Mum? You okay?" He softly asked.

She sat up and turned to her son. She gave him a heavyhearted look then turned away, not saying anything. Scorpius waited a minute then finally returned to his room. Maybe she would talk more in the morning. Her miserable mood wasn't going to ruin his happiness though. He felt more content now than he had, well, ever. The world was right again.

The next day, Scorpius came down for breakfast to find that his mum was not present at the table.

"Honestly, she needs to get over that man. No offense, Scorpius." Her grandmother remarked.

He glanced up at his grandmother and shrugged. He longed to speak with his mother but he didn't get that chance until two days later.

Scorpius had just gotten back from Albus' house. He was spending all his time there to keep him from dying of boredom at his grandparents' house. Lily was slowly warming up to him but James disappeared from the house whenever he was around. It bothered Albus that his brother still disapproved of Scorpius, but Scorpius could care less what James thought. He had Albus and that was all that mattered.

As he put his broom back in the shed and made his way to the porch in the backyard, he found his mum lying against a nearby willow tree. She looked up and motioned for him to sit with her. He obeyed.

When he sat down, she turned to him and bluntly asked, "So you're gay then?"

Scorpius, a little taken aback by how forward she was, nodded. "Please accept that, Mum."

She sighed and took his hand. "I don't love you any less, I'm just shocked still. It's hard knowing I won't get any grandchildren."

Scorpius looked his mother in her eyes and strongly stated, "I'm not going to change for anyone. I've hid who I am for too long. And I'm not even thinking about starting a family right now so let's cross that bridge when we get there, okay?"

She smiled in spite of herself and nodded. Then, a serious look appearing on her face, she said, "This was horrible timing."

"It was the only time I could tell you."

"Your father will have a fit when he finds out."

Scorpius nodded, leaning back on his elbows to look up at the sky. _At least he'll have lots of time to be upset in Azkaban_, he thought to himself. He was still bitter on the father subject. "Are you okay with this then?" He tentatively asked his mother, glancing at her.

She gave him a sideways glance and softly said, "I will be in time. I don't want to change who you are. I love you too much." That answer was good enough for him. Scorpius smiled and hugged his mother, murmuring a thanks.

When they broke apart, she curiously inquired, "So is there a boy you like?"

A smile crept upon Scorpius' lips, though he knew his mother would probably freak when she found out who the boy was. "Albus Potter. We're together now," he said.

His mother's eyes widened in disbelief and shock. "Wonderful," she mumbled, sighing. She certainly did not like the fact that her son was with a _Potter_. But she couldn't forbid Scorpius from seeing Albus; she didn't have the heart. Astoria did hope that she would be okay with all this soon; she was so worn out from being upset all the time.

The two Malfoys chatted aimlessly about other less controversial topics then finally went inside for dinner. Scorpius grew even happier, if that were even possible, when his mother said that she would try to be okay with his being gay. That was all he could ask of her.

(

Winter break went by a lot faster now that both boys were happy again. Soon, it was time to go back to school. As Scorpius arrived at Platform 9 ¾, he glanced around, searching for Albus. Finally, he saw Albus who was talking to a few Gryffindors. Grinning, he walked toward the Gryffindors and wrapped his arms around Albus' waist. "Hey," he said, breathing in Albus' sweet pine scent.

Albus, surprised by the sudden embrace, turned his head and saw Scorpius. He relaxed and smiled. Then he turned back to Tilly and Andrew who were dumb-founded, their mouths hanging open. "Oh, right, I forgot to tell you guys that we're back together. Everything is fine now."

Upset that Albus would go back to that Slytherin, Andrew narrowed his eyes at Scorpius and hissed, "You do one more thing to break his heart and I'll break your legs." He had been there when Albus was at his worst a couple of months ago so he wasn't too fond of Scorpius right now. Tilly, however, grinned. Those two made a cute couple and she couldn't wait to tell everyone.

Scorpius took Andrew's threat seriously and he nodded. "I'm sorry. I won't ever be such an arse again. At least not to Albus." He let his arms fall to his side and held hands with Albus as they made their way onto the Hogwarts Express.

Albus anxiously looked at Scorpius. "You ready for all this?"

Scorpius looked back and drew in a deep breath. "Yeah, I think I am."

"I'll be right here with you," Albus softly murmured, kissing Scorpius' cheek and gently squeezing his hand. Then those two, hands intertwined, walked on the train.

The first people to spot them were Brock Dolohov and Jay Goyle. "Scorpius? What the hell are you doing?" Brock asked in disbelief.

Scorpius turned around and walked up to his two friends. He hadn't exactly wanted to tell them he was gay this way; he had wanted to make sure they were in private. Then again, if those two hit him, at least there would be witnesses. Mustering up courage, he defiantly said, "Albus Potter is my boyfriend and if you don't like it, I'll be happy to curse both of you and anyone else who objects." He would make sure that he was still the ringleader over his friends; because he was openly gay didn't mean that he wouldn't have power anymore. _However_, Scorpius thought as he glanced at Brock and Jay's dumb-struck faces,_ I probably should have told them I was gay in a nicer, better way._ To soften the blow of his bluntness, he softly said, "I hope this doesn't change anything between us." Those two were still rendered speechless so he quickly left, not wanting to make a scene, still holding Albus' hand. As the two boys looked for an empty compartment, they heard people murmur about them.

The news that Scorpius and Albus were strangely holding hands spread like wildfire and everyone had something to say about it.

"Are those two under the Imperius curse?"

"No, I think they are actually together."

"But Scorpius Malfoy sleeps with girls. He madeout with me! How is this possible?"

"What does Albus Potter see in Scorpius Malfoy?"

"I could say the same thing for Malfoy."

"Damn, why are all the cute boys gay?"

Scorpius and Albus ignored the gossip and finally found a compartment. They were soon joined by Andrew, Arabelle, Tilly, Blake, and Rose. Throughout the train ride, Andrew, Blake, and Rose slowly, but cautiously, warmed up to Scorpius once they saw how happy he made Albus. Halfway in the ride, Scorpius saw Brock and Jay stop by the compartment and stare at him. "Hold on a second," Scorpius said to everyone and made his way out. He opened the compartment door and shut it, then faced his Slytherin friends. "May I help you?" He asked them.

"You're not serious, right?" Jay was the first to speak.

"So you're a poof now? With Albus? I thought you hated him." Brock inquired, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I don't expect either of you to understand," Scorpius said, his guard up. "And I never hated him."

"This is too weird, Scorpius. What about Olivia?" Brock asked as Jay was still slightly speechless.

Scorpius sighed and winced at the mention of her name. She would be furious, he knew that for sure. "I've never liked Olivia. She's vile."

Finally, Jay spoke up, "Olivia turned you gay?"

Scorpius slightly smirked and said, a hint of humor in his voice, "If you want to think that, sure."

Brock uncomfortably fidgeted as he mumbled, eyes on the floor, "I don't know how I feel about this."

He didn't expect his friends to be okay with him right off the bat. He knew that he would always be seen differently now that he was out, but Scorpius was okay with that. If his friends were as loyal to him as they seemed, they would eventually accept him this way. "Well, tell me when you do." Then he went back inside the compartment and sat next to Albus.

"You okay?" He asked. Everyone had listened to the exchange that had just taken place between the sixth-year Slytherins.

Scorpius turned to Al and sighed. "Was it this hard for you?"

Albus gave a small grin. "Yeah, it was. But it gets better over time." He wrapped his arm around Scorpius' waist, pulling the Slytherin closer to him.

Tilly watched those two, a silly grin upon her face, and finally asked, "Now that rumors are flying around, do I have permission to tell everyone about you two?"

Everyone laughed at how eager Tilly was to share her gossip with the whole school. Scorpius smiled and said, "Knock yourself out."

The train came to a stop about an hour later. Albus and Scorpius grabbed their trunks and walked out together. "Here we go," Scorpius said, gazing at the big castle.

"We'll be fine, I promise. As long as we have each other." Albus kissed Scorpius with the same passion he had first kissed him those many months ago; it felt like an eternity had passed between them now. They walked together toward Hogwarts, hand in hand, hearts open.

* * *

**I'm sorry if this seemed rush but I'm satisfied with the ending, though it is a bit cheesy haha...but that's not always a _bad_ thing. Anyway, thanks so much again! And final reviews would be greatly appreciated! :) Thanks for reading!**


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